Conus africanus

Conus africanus, common name the African cone, is a species of predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails, cone shells or cones.^[3]

Conus africanus
Apertural and abapertural views of shell of Conus africanus Kiener, L.C., 1849
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Neogastropoda
Superfamily:	Conoidea
Family:	Conidae
Genus:	Conus
Species:	C. africanus
Binomial name
Conus africanus Kiener, 1845[2]
Synonyms[3]
Conus (Lautoconus) africanus Kiener, 1848 · accepted, alternate representation Conus neoafricanus da Motta, 1991 (unnecessary replacement name for Conus africanus Kiener, 1848, by da Motta believed to be preoccupied by "Conus africanus Meuschen" (published in a rejected work)) Varioconus africanus Kiener, L.C., 1845

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.

This species has been recently declared "least concern" in 2012, after it had been declared "vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List in 1996.^[1]

Conus africanus Kiener, L.C., 1849

Description

The size of the shell varies between 13 mm and 30 mm.

Distribution

This marine species is endemic to Angola and West Africa.