Conus obscurus

Conus obscurus
Apertural view of Conus obscurus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
(unranked):	clade Caenogastropoda clade Hypsogastropoda clade Neogastropoda
Superfamily:	Conoidea
Family:	Conidae
Subfamily:	Coninae
Genus:	Conus
Species:	C. obscurus
Binomial name
Conus obscurus G. B. Sowerby II, 1833 [1]
Synonyms[2]
Conus halitropus Bartsch & Rehder, 1943 Protostrioconus obscurus (G.B. Sowerby I, 1833)

Conus obscurus, common name the obscure cone, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.^[2]

Like all species within the genus Conus, these snails are predatory and venomous. They are capable of "stinging" humans, therefore live ones should be handled carefully or not at all.

Description

The size of an adult shell varies between 20 mm and 44 mm. This small to medium-sized shell is shaped like a small Conus geographus but with smaller coronations on the shoulder. The shell is subcylindrical, violaceous, with chestnut blotches, forming two interrupted bands, and faint lines of minute chestnut and white articulations. The aperture is very wide anteriorly caused by a concave lower half of the columella. ^[3]

Distribution

This species occurs in the Indian Ocean along Aldabra, the Mascarene Basin and Tanzania; in the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii and French Polynesia.

References

1. ^ Sowerby (II), G. B. Jr., 1833. The Conchological Illustrations
2. ^ ^{a b} Conus obscurus G. B. Sowerby II, 1833.  Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=215476 on 3 August 2011.
3. ^ George Washington Tryon, Manual of Conchology vol. VI, p. 88; 1884 (described as Conus violaceus)

• Filmer R.M. (2001). A Catalogue of Nomenclature and Taxonomy in the Living Conidae 1758 - 1998. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden. 388pp.
• Tucker J.K. & Tenorio M.J. (2009) Systematic classification of Recent and fossil conoidean gastropods. Hackenheim: Conchbooks. 296 pp.
• Tucker J.K. (2009). Recent cone species database. September 4th 2009 Edition

External links

• The Conus Biodiversity website
• Gastropods.com: Protostrioconus obscurus; accessed: 3 August 2011