''Conus aplustre'', common name the black-end cone, 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 co ...
and their allies.
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 19 mm and 27 mm. The shell is rather stoutly turbinated, smooth, thin, somewhat inflated, and striate towards the base. Its color is yellowish white, with irregular yellowish brown or ash faint bands, and lines of white and chestnut articulations. The
spire is depressed. The
apex is pointed.
G.W. Tryon (1884) Manual of Conchology, structural and systematic, with illustrations of the species, vol. VI; Philadelphia, Academy of Natural Sciences
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Distribution
This marine species is endemic to Australia and occurs off New South Wales and Queensland.
References
* Reeve, L.A. 1843. ''Descriptions of new species of shells figured in the 'Conchologia Iconica'.'' Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 11: 169–197
* Adams, A. 1854. ''Descriptions of new species of the Genus Conus, from the collection of Hugh Cuming, Esq''. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1853(21): 116–119
* Brazier, J. 1870. ''Descriptions of three new species of marine shells from the Australian coast.'' Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London (1): 108–109
* Hedley, C. 1913. ''Studies of Australian Mollusca. Part XI.'' Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 38: 258–339
* Wilson, B.R. & Gillett, K. 1971. Australian Shells: illustrating and describing 600 species of marine gastropods found in Australian waters. Sydney : Reed Books 168 pp.
* Wilson, B. (1994) ''Australian marine shells. Prosobranch gastropods. Vol. 2 Neogastropods''. Odyssey Publishing, Kallaroo, Western Australia, 370 pp.
* Röckel, D., Korn, W. & Kohn, A.J. 1995. ''Manual of the Living Conidae. Volume 1: Indo-Pacific Region.'' Wiesbaden : Hemmen 517 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
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Conus Aplustre
aplustre
Gastropods of Australia
Gastropods described in 1843