Conus spurius

Conus spurius
Lindaconus spurius
Fossil, Pliocene
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Neogastropoda
Superfamily:	Conoidea
Family:	Conidae
Genus:	Conus
Species:	C. spurius
Binomial name
Conus spurius Gmelin, 1791
Synonyms [1]
Conus (Lindaconus) spuriusGmelin, 1791 · accepted, alternate representation Conus (Spuriconus) spuriusGmelin, 1791 Conus leoninus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792 (invalid: junior homonym of Conus spurius [Lightfoot], 1786) Conus ochraceus Lamarck, 1810 Conus paulinaKiener, 1850 Conus proteusHwass in Bruguière, 1792 Conus spurius arubaensisNowell-Usticke, 1968 Conus spurius atlanticusClench, 1942 Conus weinkauffii Löbbecke, 1882 Cucullus ferugineus Röding, 1798 Cucullus flammeusRöding, 1798 Cucullus gualterianusRöding, 1798 Cucullus leoninusRöding, 1798 Cucullus syriacusRöding, 1798 Lindaconus spurius(Gmelin, 1791) Spuriconus spurius(Gmelin, 1791)

Conus spurius, common name the alphabet 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.

Subspecies

• Conus spurius aureofasciatusRehder & Abbott, 1951(synonym: Lindaconus spurius aureofasciatus(Rehder & Abbott, 1951))
• Conus spurius bayleiJousseaume, 1872 (synonyms: Conus bayleiJousseaume, 1872; Lindaconus spurius baylei(Jousseaume, 1872) )
• Conus spurius lorenzianusDillwyn, 1817 (synonyms: Conus flammeusLamarck, 1810 (invalid: junior secondary homonym of Cucullus flammeusRöding, 1798; C. phlogopus is a replacement name); Conus lorenzianusDillwyn, 1817; Conus phlogopusTomlin, 1937; Conus undatusKiener, 1847; Lindaconus spurius lorenzianus(Dillwyn, 1817))
• Conus spurius spuriusGmelin, 1791 (synonym: Lindaconus spurius spurius(Gmelin, 1791))

Distribution

This marine species occurs from East Florida to Venezuela; also off the West Indies.

Description

The maximum recorded shell length is 80 mm. ^[2] The shell is white, with revolving series of spots and irregular or cloud-like markings of orange, chestnut or chocolate, often forming interrupted bands. The base of the shell is grooved. The spire shows a single broad sulcus. ^[3]

Larval stage

Conus spurius larvae hatch from egg capsules, swim for a couple of hours at most, then settle to the bottom as young adults.

Aided by currents, it is at this larval stage when range extension of the species is achieved.

Habitat

Minimum recorded depth is 0 m. ^[2] Maximum recorded depth is 64 m. ^[2]

References

1. Conus spurius Gmelin, 1791. 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. 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 proteus)

• Rosenberg, G.; Moretzsohn, F.; García, E. F. (2009). Gastropoda (Mollusca) of the Gulf of Mexico, Pp. 579–699 in: Felder, D.L. and D.K. Camp (eds.), Gulf of Mexico–Origins, Waters, and Biota. Texas A&M Press, College Station, Texas.
• 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

• 
  Conus spuriusGmelin, J.F., 1791
• 
  Conus spuriusGmelin, J.F., 1791
• 
  Conus spuriusGmelin, J.F., 1791

External links

• The Conus Biodiversity website
• Cone Shells – Knights of the Sea
• "Lindaconus spurius spurius". Gastropods.com. Retrieved 16 January 2019.