''Conasprella aphrodite'' is a species of
sea snail
Sea snail is a common name for slow-moving marine gastropod molluscs, usually with visible external shells, such as whelk or abalone. They share the taxonomic class Gastropoda with slugs, which are distinguished from snails primarily by the ...
, a marine
gastropod
The gastropods (), commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda ().
This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, from freshwater, and from land. T ...
mollusk in the
family Conidae
Conidae, with the current common name of "cone snails", is a taxonomic family (previously subfamily) of predatory sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the superfamily Conoidea.
The 2014 classification of the superfamily Conoidea, groups onl ...
, the
cone snails
A cone is a three-dimensional geometric shape that tapers smoothly from a flat base (frequently, though not necessarily, circular) to a point called the apex or vertex.
A cone is formed by a set of line segments, half-lines, or lines ...
and their allies.
[Bouchet, P. (2015). Conasprella aphrodite (Petuch, 1979). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=580165 on 2015-02-28]
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
Original description: "Shell thin, delicate, lightweight, glossy; outline straight sided, elongate, tapered toward the anterior end; shoulder smooth, sharp, slightly carinate; anterior one third with 6-8 faint spiral sulci; color lilac-purple with 3 bands of chestnut-brown flammules; base color pattern overlaid with 12 revolving rows of white and brown dots and dashes; one row of dashes just anterior of midbody line always more prominent than others; spire purple with alternating brown flammules; edge of shoulder with alternating brown and white dashes; aperture purple; periostracum thin, smooth, translucent yellow."
The size of the shell varies between 15 mm and 24 mm. Their shell shape and design may differ, but will always be a cone shape. Their shell colors will vary from a light brown with white flecks to all black.
When these snails feel threatened, they can shoot poison from their mouths that are in the shape of needles.
Distribution
Locus typicus: "Approximately 250 metres depth, off Panglao,
Bohol Isl., Philippines."
[Petuch, E.J. 1979-''Twelve new Indo-Pacific gastropods'', Nemouria Vol. 23, page 12.]
This marine species occurs off the
Philippines,
New Caledonia
)
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, image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg
, map_alt = Location of New Caledonia
, map_caption = Location of New Caledonia
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, subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...
and the
Ryukyus, Japan.
References
* Tucker J.K. & Tenorio M.J. (2009) ''Systematic classification of Recent and fossil conoidean gastropods.'' Hackenheim: Conchbooks. 296 pp.
* Rabiller M. & Richard G. , 2014. ''Conus (Gastropoda, Conidae) from offshore French Polynesia: Description of dredging from TARASOC expedition, with new records and new species.'' Xenophora Taxonomy 5: 26-49
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 websiteCone Shells – Knights of the Sea*
aphrodite
Gastropods described in 1979
{{Conidae-stub