Conus araneosus

Conus araneosus, common name the cobweb cone, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails, cone shells or cones.^[2]

Conus araneosus
Apertural view of Conus araneosus
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. araneosus
Binomial name
Conus araneosus sensu Lightfoot, 1786
Synonyms[2]
Conus (Conus) araneosus [Lightfoot], 1786 accepted, alternate representation Conus arachnoideus Gmelin, 1791 Conus arachnoideus bizonata (f) Crosse, H., 1858 Conus araneosus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792 Conus cassis "Meuschen, F.C." Dillwyn, L.W., 1817 Conus monstrosus Küster, 1838 Conus peplum G. B. Sowerby II, 1857 Conus reticulatus Perry, 1811 Cucullus arenosus Röding, 1798 Cucullus stercusmuscarum Röding, 1798

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 araneosus araneosus [Lightfoot], 1786
• Conus araneosus nicobaricus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792

Description

The size of an adult shell varies between 48 mm and 100mm. The shell is very closely reticulated with white and light chestnut, the white spots crowded and irregular in size, the chestnut lines forming two interrupted, irregular bands.^[3]

Distribution

This marine species occurs in the Indian Ocean off Tanzania, in the Indian Ocean off India and Sri Lanka and in the Pacific Ocean off the Philippines and Indonesia.