Conus

This article is about the genus of snails. For the continguous area of the United States (CONUS), see Contiguous United States. For people with the surname "Conus", and other uses, see Conus (disambiguation).

Conus is a genus of venomous and predatory cone snails.^[1] Prior to 2009, it included all cone snail species but is now more precisely defined.

Conus Temporal range: Eocene–Recent PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Apertural and abapertural views of shell of Conus abbas
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Neogastropoda
Superfamily:	Conoidea
Family:	Conidae
Genus:	Conus Linnaeus, 1758[1]
Type species
Conus marmoreus Linnaeus, 1758
Species
See List of Conus species
Synonyms[1]
List Afonsoconus Tucker & Tenorio, 2013 Africonus Petuch, 1975 Afroconus Petuch, 1975 [lapsus] Arubaconus Petuch, 2013 Asprella Schaufuss, 1869 Atlanticonus Petuch & Sargent, 2012 Attenuiconus Petuch, 2013 Austroconus Tucker & Tenorio, 2009 Bermudaconus Petuch, 2013 Brasiliconus Petuch, 2013 Calamiconus Tucker & Tenorio, 2009 Calibanus da Motta, 1991 Cariboconus Petuch, 2003 Chelyconus Mörch, 1852 Cleobula Iredale, 1930 Conasprella (Varioconus) da Motta, 1991 Conasprelloides Tucker & Tenorio, 2009 Continuconus Tucker & Tenorio, 2013 Conus (Afonsoconus) Tucker & Tenorio, 2013 Conus (Asprella) Schaufuss, 1869 Conus (Atlanticonus) Petuch & Sargent, 2012 Conus (Attenuiconus) Petuch, 2013 Conus (Austroconus) Tucker & Tenorio, 2009 Conus (Bermudaconus) Petuch, 2013 Conus (Brasiliconus) Petuch, 2013 Conus (Calibanus) da Motta, 1991 Conus (Chelyconus) Mörch, 1852 Conus (Conus) Linnaeus, 1758 Conus (Coronaxis) Swainson, 1840 Conus (Cylinder) Montfort, 1810 Conus (Cylindrella) Swainson, 1840 Conus (Darioconus) Iredale, 1930 Conus (Dauciconus) Cotton, 1945 Conus (Dendroconus) Swainson, 1840 Conus (Ductoconus) da Motta, 1991 Conus (Elisaconus) Tucker & Tenorio, 2013 Conus (Embrikena) Iredale, 1937 Conus (Eremiconus) Tucker & Tenorio, 2009 Conus (Eugeniconus) da Motta, 1991 Conus (Floraconus) Iredale, 1930 Conus (Fraterconus) Tucker & Tenorio, 2013 Conus (Fulgiconus) da Motta, 1991 Conus (Gastridium) Modeer, 1793 Conus (Genuanoconus) J. K. Tucker & Tenorio, 2009 Conus (Harmoniconus) da Motta, 1991 Conus (Hermes) Montfort, 1810 Conus (Kalloconus) da Motta, 1991 Conus (Kellyconus) Petuch, 2013 Conus (Kioconus) da Motta, 1991 Conus (Klemaeconus) Tucker & Tenorio, 2013 Conus (Lamniconus) da Motta, 1991 Conus (Lautoconus) Monterosato, 1923 Conus (Leporiconus) Iredale, 1930 Conus (Leptoconus) Swainson, 1840 Conus (Lindaconus) Petuch, 2002 Conus (Lithoconus) Mörch, 1852 Conus (Lividoconus) Wils, 1970 Conus (Magelliconus) da Motta, 1991 Conus (Malagasyconus) Monnier & Tenorio, 2015 Conus (Monteiroconus) da Motta, 1991 Conus (Papyriconus) Tucker & Tenorio, 2013 Conus (Phasmoconus) Mörch, 1852 Conus (Pionoconus) Mörch, 1852 Conus (Plicaustraconus) Moolenbeek, 2008 Conus (Pseudonoduloconus) Tucker & Tenorio, 2009 Conus (Pseudopterygia) Tucker & Tenorio, 2013 Conus (Puncticulis) Swainson, 1840 Conus (Purpuriconus) da Motta, 1991 Conus (Pyruconus) Olsson, 1967 Conus (Quasiconus) Tucker & Tenorio, 2009 Conus (Rhizoconus) Mörch, 1852 Conus (Rubroconus) Tucker & Tenorio, 2013 Conus (Sandericonus) Petuch, 2013 Conus (Sciteconus) da Motta, 1991 Conus (Splinoconus) da Motta, 1991 Conus (Spuriconus) Petuch, 2003 Conus (Stephanoconus) Mörch, 1852 Conus (Strategoconus) da Motta, 1991 Conus (Strioconus) Thiele, 1929 Conus (Tesselliconus) da Motta, 1991 Conus (Textilia) Swainson, 1840 Conus (Theliconus) Swainson, 1840 Conus (Turriconus) Shikama & Habe, 1968 Conus (Virgiconus) Cotton, 1945 Conus (Virroconus) Iredale, 1930 Conus (Vituliconus) da Motta, 1991 Cornutoconus Suzuki, 1972 Coronaxis Swainson, 1840 Coronaxis (Cylindrella) Swainson, 1840 Coronaxis (Tuliparia) Swainson, 1840 Cucullus Röding, 1798 Cylinder Montfort, 1810 Cylindrus Batsch, 1789 Darioconus Iredale, 1930 Dauciconus Cotton, 1945 Dendroconus Swainson, 1840 Dendroconus (Erythroconus) da Motta, 1991 Dendroconus (Harmoniconus) da Motta, 1991 Dendroconus (Ketyconus) da Motta, 1991 Dendroconus (Lithoconus) Mörch, 1852 Dendroconus (Sciteconus) da Motta, 1991 Dendroconus (Socioconus) da Motta, 1991 Dendroconus (Splinoconus) da Motta, 1991 Dendroconus (Strioconus) Thiele, 1929 Dendroconus (Tesselliconus) da Motta, 1991 Ductoconus da Motta, 1991 Dyraspis Iredale, 1949 Elisaconus Tucker & Tenorio, 2013 Embrikena Iredale, 1937 Eremiconus Tucker & Tenorio, 2009 Erythroconus da Motta, 1991 Eugeniconus da Motta, 1991 Floraconus Iredale, 1930 Floraconus (Sciteconus) da Motta, 1991 Fraterconus Tucker & Tenorio, 2013 Fulgiconus da Motta, 1991 Gastridium Modeer, 1793 Genuanoconus Tucker & Tenorio, 2009 Gladioconus Tucker & Tenorio, 2009 Gradiconus da Motta, 1991 Graphiconus da Motta, 1991 Harmoniconus da Motta, 1991 Hermes Montfort, 1810 Hermes (Heroconus) da Motta, 1991 Hermes (Hermes) da Motta, 1991 Isoconus Tucker & Tenorio, 2013 Kalloconus da Motta, 1991 Kalloconus (Trovaoconus) ) J. K. Tucker & Tenorio, 2009 Kellyconus Petuch, 2013 Ketyconus da Motta, 1991 Kioconus da Motta, 1991 Kioconus (Isoconus) J. K. Tucker & Tenorio, 2013 Kioconus (Ongoconus) da Motta, 1991 Klemaeconus Tucker & Tenorio, 2013 Kurodaconus Shikama & Habe, 1968 Lamniconus da Motta, 1991 Lautoconus Monterosato, 1923 Lautoconus (Lautoconus) Monterosato, 1923 Leporiconus Iredale, 1930 Leptoconus Swainson, 1840 Leptoconus (Calibanus) da Motta, 1991 Leptoconus (Chelyconus) Mörch, 1852 Leptoconus (Gradiconus) da Motta, 1991 Leptoconus (Graphiconus) da Motta, 1991 Leptoconus (Lamniconus) da Motta, 1991 Leptoconus (Phasmoconus) Mörch, 1852 Leptoconus (Protoconus) da Motta, 1991 Leptoconus (Purpuriconus) da Motta, 1991 Leptoconus (Rhizoconus) Mörch, 1852 Leptoconus (Thoraconus) da Motta, 1991 Lindaconus Petuch, 2002 Lithoconus Mörch, 1852 Lividiconus [lapsus] Lividoconus Wils, 1970 Magelliconus da Motta, 1991 Miliariconus Tucker & Tenorio, 2009 Mitraconus Tucker & Tenorio, 2013 Monteiroconus da Motta, 1991 Nataliconus Tucker & Tenorio, 2009 Nimboconus Tucker & Tenorio, 2013 Nitidoconus Tucker & Tenorio, 2013 Nubecula Herrmanssen, 1847 Papyriconus Tucker & Tenorio, 2013 Phasmoconus Mörch, 1852 Phasmoconus (Fulgiconus) da Motta, 1991 Phasmoconus (Graphiconus) da Motta, 1991 Phasmoconus (Phasmoconus) Mörch, 1852 Pictoconus Limpalaër & Monnier, 2018 Pionoconus Mörch, 1852 Plicaustraconus Moolenbeek, 2008 Poremskiconus Petuch, 2013 Protoconus da Motta, 1991 (Invalid: junior homonym of Protoconus Yu, 1979 and Protoconus Stinchcomb, 1986; Tenorioconus is a replacement name) Protostrioconus Tucker & Tenorio, 2009 Pseudohermes Tucker & Tenorio, 2013 Pseudonoduloconus Tucker & Tenorio, 2009 Pseudopterygia Tucker & Tenorio, 2013 Puncticulis Swainson, 1840 Purpuriconus da Motta, 1991 Pyruconus Olsson, 1967 Quasiconus Tucker & Tenorio, 2009 Regiconus Iredale, 1930 Rhizoconus Mörch, 1852 Rhombiconus Tucker & Tenorio, 2009 Rhombus Montfort, 1810 (Invalid: junior homonym of Rhombus Walbaum, 1792 [Pisces]) Rolaniconus Tucker & Tenorio, 2009 Rollus Montfort, 1810 Rubroconus Tucker & Tenorio, 2013 Sandericonus Petuch, 2013 Sciteconus da Motta, 1991 Seminoleconus Petuch, 2003 Spuriconus Petuch, 2003 Stellaconus Tucker & Tenorio, 2009 Stephanoconus Mörch, 1852 Strategoconus da Motta, 1991 Strategoconus (Vituliconus) da Motta, 1991 Strioconus Thiele, 1929 Sulciconus Bielz, 1869 Taranteconus Azuma, 1972 Tenorioconus Petuch & Drolshagen, 2011 Tesselliconus da Motta, 1991 Textilia Swainson, 1840 Textiliinae da Motta, 1995 Thalassiconus Tucker & Tenorio, 2013) Thoraconus da Motta, 1991 Trovaoconus Tucker & Tenorio, 2009 Tuckericonus Petuch, 2013 Turriconus Shikama & Habe, 1968 Turriconus (Kurodaconus) Shikama & Habe, 1968 Turriconus (Mitraconus) J. K. Tucker & Tenorio, 2013 Turriconus (Turriconus ) Shikama & Habe, 1968 Utriculus Schumacher, 1817 Varioconus da Motta, 1991 Virgiconus Cotton, 1945 Virroconus Iredale, 1930 Vituliconus da Motta, 1991

Fossil Conus pelagicus from the Pliocene of Cyprus

Description

The thick shell of species in the genus Conus sensu stricto, is obconic, with the whorls enrolled upon themselves. The spire is short, smooth or tuberculated. The narrow aperture is elongated with parallel margins and is truncated at the base. The operculum is very small relative to the size of the shell. It is corneous, narrowly elongated, with an apical nucleus, and the impression of the muscular attachment varies from one-half to two-thirds of the inner surface. The outer lip shows a slight sutural sinus.^[2]

Distribution and habitat

Species in the genus Conus sensu stricto can be found in the tropical and subtropical seas of the world, at depths ranging from the sublittoral (c. 200 m) to 1,000 m (656 to 3,280 ft). They are very variable in some of their characters, such as the tuberculation of the spire and body whorl, striae, colors and the pattern of coloring.

The oldest known fossil of Conus is from the lower Eocene, about 55 million years ago.^[3]

See also

List of Conus species