Conus kulkulcan

Conus kulkulcan
Apertural and abapertural views of shell of Conus kulkulcanPetuch, E.J., 1980
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Neogastropoda
Superfamily:	Conoidea
Family:	Conidae
Genus:	Conus
Species:	C. kulkulcan
Binomial name
Conus kulkulcan Petuch, 1980
Synonyms [1]
Conus (Dauciconus) kulkulcanPetuch, 1980 · accepted, alternative representation Purpuriconus kulkulcan(Petuch, 1980)

Conus kulkulcan is a species of predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails or cone shells. ^[1]

Like all species within the genus Conus, these snails are venomous and capable of stinging humans. Their name references Kukulkan, a Mayan deity. It can be found in shallow sandy substrates in the western Caribbean and is assessed as least concern by the IUCN.

Description

The shell is cone-shaped (like other species in Conidae) with a short, pointed spire and reaches up to 36mm in length. ^[2] It typically exhibits a deep red coloration, often with a lighter band in the middle, and the mantle of live specimens is dark red. Some specimens are blue-gray as described by E.J. Petuch, the first to discover the species. ^[3]

Habitat

This marine species can be found in the western Caribbean Sea, with records from Belize, Honduras (notably Roatán Island), Cuba and Panama. It lives in shallow marine environments on sandy substrates beneath coral, at depths of 2-15 meters. ^{[2] [3]}

References

Shell and protoconch of Conus kulkulcan (holotype at the Smithsonian Institution)

1. Conus kulkulcan Petuch, 1980 . Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species  on 27 March 2010.
2. Welch J. J. (2010). "The "Island Rule" and Deep-Sea Gastropods: Re-Examining the Evidence". PLoS ONE 5(1): e8776. doi : 10.1371/journal.pone.0008776 .
3. Petuch, E. J. (1980). A new Falsilyria (Volutidae) and a new Conus (Conidae) from Roatan Island, Honduras (Atlantic). The Nautilus. 94(3): 115-118, figs. 1-15., available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/8274621

• Petuch, E. J. 1980. Nautilus. 94 (3): 117, figure 11–15.
• Tucker J.K. & Tenorio M.J. (2009) Systematic classification of Recent and fossil conoidean gastropods. Hackenheim: Conchbooks. 296 pp.
• 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
• "Purpuriconus kulkulcan". Gastropods.com. Retrieved 16 January 2019.