Conus pictus explained

Conus pictus is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails 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.

Subspecies:

• Conus pictus pictus Reeve, 1843
• Conus pictus transkeiensis Korn, W. 1998 (synonym: Sciteconus pictus transkeiensis Korn, 1998)

Description

The size of the shell varies between 26 mm and 50 mm. The shell is chestnut-colored, with two or three pink bands, and a few narrow lines, ornamented with reddish or chestnut spots. The spire is maculated.^[1]

Distribution

This marine species occurs off Jeffrey's Bay - East London, Republic South Africa

References

• Sowerby, G. B., III. 1911. Description of a new species of the genus Conus from South Africa. Proceedings of the Malacological Society of London 9(6):352, fig.
• Tucker J.K. & Tenorio M.J. (2013) Illustrated catalog of the living cone shells. 517 pp. Wellington, Florida: MdM Publishing.
• 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

Gallery

Conus pictus transkeiensis

External links

• The Conus Biodiversity website
• Cone Shells - Knights of the Sea

Notes and References

1. https://archive.org/details/manualconch06tryorich G.W. Tryon (1884) Manual of Conchology, structural and systematic, with illustrations of the species, vol. VI; Philadelphia, Academy of Natural Sciences