Conus gloriamaris
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| Conus gloriamaris | ||||||||||||||||
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 Conus gloriamaris
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| Conus gloramaris Chemnitz, 1777 |
Conus gloriamaris, also known as the Glory of the Seas Cone, is a mollusc found in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The shell can reach 16 cm in length, but typically measures between 80 and 120 millimeters. Compared with other cones, gloriamaris is relatively large, slender, with a tall spiral. It has characteristic tan triangular patterns similar to other textile cones, and two or three bands of darker coloration across its body. The tan coloration can vary from a lighter, golden color to a deeper dark brown, with intricate detailing.
Also see Cone snail.
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[edit] History of Seashell as Collector's Specimen
The shells of this mollusc species has special significance to shell collectors because it was once regarded as the rarest shell in the world. For about two centuries between its initial discovery and the discovery of its habitat in 1969, specimens were valued in the thousands of U.S. dollars and generally only owned by museums and wealthy private collectors. Furthermore, the shell's popularity among collectors spawned urban legends, most notably the story of a collector purchasing one at auction in 1792 only to destroy it, to maintain the value of another one already in his collection. Improvements in diving technology such as the advent of SCUBA led to their discovery in larger numbers, and today shells can often be found from retailers or online auction sites for less than $100 U.S. None-the-less, the legacy of this shell in addition to its pleasing shape and patterns makes it popular and desirable among shell collectors today.[1]
[edit] Distribution
This is one of the many Indo-Pacific species of Conus. It is found principally off the Soloman Islands but with a habitat ranging from the Philippines and eastern Indonesia, through New Guinea, and as far east as Fiji.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ Conus gloriamaris Chemnitz, 1777
- ^ Conus gloriamaris Chemnitz, 1777 - Description: CONUS BIODIVERSITY WEBSITE CATALOGUE
- Arianna Fulvo & Roberto Nistri (2005). 350 coquillages du monde entier. Delachaux et Niestlé (Paris) : 256 p. (ISBN 2-603-01374-2)
[edit] External links
- [1]
Example shells (from private collection)
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