Conus namocanus

Conus namocanus
Two views of a shell of Conus namocanus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Clade:	Caenogastropoda
Clade:	Hypsogastropoda
Clade:	Neogastropoda
Superfamily:	Conoidea
Family:	Conidae
Genus:	Conus
Species:	C. namocanus
Binomial name
Conus namocanus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792
Synonyms[1]
Conus (Rhizoconus) namocanus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792 · accepted, alternate representation Conus badius Kiener, 1845 Conus laevigatus G. B. Sowerby II, 1858 Conus nemocanus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792 (misspelling) Rhizoconus namocanus (Hwass in Bruguière, 1792)

Conus namocanus, common name the Namocanus cone, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.^[1]

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 the shell varies between 40 mm and 100 mm. The spire is usually somewhat convex and striate. The color is white, broadly flamed with chocolate. The body whorl is white or yellowish brown, with irregular chocolate longitudinal strigations. The shell is partially interrupted so as to form a central white band. The longitudinal markings are less defined and broader, than in Conus vexillum Gmelin, 1791 to which it resembles. They give a darker shade to the shell.^[2]

Distribution

This species occurs in the Red Sea and off Oman; in the Indian Ocean off Madagascar, Tanzania and South Africa.

References

1. Conus namocanus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792.  Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 27 March 2010.
2. G.W. Tryon (1884) Manual of Conchology, structural and systematic, with illustrations of the species, vol. VI; Philadelphia, Academy of Natural Sciences (described as Conus vexillum var. nemocanus)

• Kiener L.C. 1844-1850. Spécies général et iconographie des coquilles vivantes. Vol. 2. Famille des Enroulées. Genre Cone (Conus, Lam.), pp. 1-379, pl. 1-111 [pp. 1-48 (1846); 49-160 (1847); 161-192 (1848); 193-240 (1849); 241-[379](assumed to be 1850); plates 4,6 (1844); 2-3, 5, 7-32, 34-36, 38, 40-50 (1845); 33, 37, 39, 51-52, 54-56, 57-68, 74-77 (1846); 1, 69-73, 78-103 (1847); 104-106 (1848); 107 (1849); 108-111 (1850)]. Paris, Rousseau & J.B. Baillière
• Puillandre N., Duda T.F., Meyer C., Olivera B.M. & Bouchet P. (2015). One, four or 100 genera? A new classification of the cone snails. Journal of Molluscan Studies. 81: 1-23

External links

• The Conus Biodiversity website
• Cone Shells - Knights of the Sea
• Gastropods.com: Rhizoconus namocanus