Conus pennaceus

Conus pennaceus
Apertural and abapertural views of shell of Conus pennaceus Born, I. von, 1778
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
(unranked):	clade Caenogastropoda clade Hypsogastropoda clade Neogastropoda
Superfamily:	Conoidea
Family:	Conidae
Subfamily:	Coninae
Genus:	Conus
Species:	C. pennaceus
Binomial name
Conus pennaceus Born, 1778 [1]
Synonyms[2]
Conus aureus Röding, P.F., 1798 Conus bazarutensis Fernades & Monteiro, 1988 Conus behelokensis Lauer, 1989 Conus colubrinus Lamarck, 1810 Conus elisae Kiener, 1850 Conus episcopus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792 Conus episcopus mauritiensis Lauer, 1992 Conus ganensis Delsaerdt, 1988 Conus marmoricolor Melvill, 1900 Conus mauritiensis Lauer, 1992 Conus omaria var. marmoricolor Melvill, 1900 Conus pennaceus bazarutensis Fernandes & Monteiro, 1988 Conus pennaceus corbieri Blöcher, 1994 Conus pennaceus tsara Korn, Niederhöfer & Blöcher, 2000 Conus pennaceus vezoi Korn, Niederhöfer & Blöcher, 2000 Conus praelatus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792 Conus purus Pease, W.H., 1863, "1862" Conus quasimagnificus Reeve, 1843 Conus racemosus G. B. Sowerby II, 1874 Conus rubiginosus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792 Conus rubropennatus Da Motta, 1982 Conus sindon Reeve, 1844 Conus stellatus Kiener, 1845 Cucullus gentilis Röding, 1798 Darioconus pennaceus (Born, 1778)

A Conus pennaceus attacking one of a cluster of three Cymatium nicobaricum in Hawaii

Conus pennaceus, common name the feathered cone, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.^[2]

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.

There are two subspecies :

• Conus pennaceus behelokensis Lauer, 1989^[3]
• Conus pennaceus echo Lauer, 1988^[4]

Description

The size of an adult shell varies between 35 mm and 88 mm. The color of the shell varies from orange-brown to chocolate, covered by minute white spots, and overlaid by larger white triangular spots, sometimes forming bands at the shoulder, middle and base. ^[5]

Distribution

This species occurs in the Red Sea, in the Indian Ocean along Madagascar, the Mascarene Basin and Tanzania.

References

• Vine, P. (1986). Red Sea Invertebrates. Immel Publishing, London. 224 pp
• Filmer R.M. (2001). A Catalogue of Nomenclature and Taxonomy in the Living Conidae 1758 - 1998. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden. 388pp.
• Tucker J.K. (2009). Recent cone species database. September 4th 2009 Edition

Gallery

Below are several color forms and one subspecies:

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  Conus pennaceus Born, I. von, 1778

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  Conus pennaceus Born, I. von, 1778

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  Conus pennaceus Born, I. von, 1778

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  Conus pennaceus Born, I. von, 1778

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  Conus pennaceus Born, I. von, 1778

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  Conus pennaceus Born, I. von, 1778

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  Conus pennaceus Born, I. von, 1778

• 

  Conus pennaceus Born, I. von, 1778

• 

  Conus pennaceus behelokensis Lauer, J., 1989

• 

  Conus pennaceus behelokensis Lauer, J., 1989

• 

  Conus pennaceus behelokensis Lauer, J., 1989

• 

  Conus pennaceus behelokensis Lauer, J., 1989

External links

• The Conus Biodiversity website
• Gastropods.com: Darioconus pennaceus; accessed: 19 July 2011.
• Gastropods.com: Darioconus pennaceus echo; accessed 16 January 2012.
• Gastropods.com: Darioconus pennaceus behelokensis; accessed 16 January 2012.
• Cone Shells - Knights of the Sea

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