Conus augur

Conus augur, commonly known as the auger cone, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, which includes the cone snails, cone shells, or cones.^[3]

Conus augur
Apertural view of a shell of Conus augur
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. augur
Binomial name
Conus augur sensu Lightfoot, 1786[2]
Synonyms[3]
Conus (Strategoconus) augur sensu Lightfoot, 1786 accepted, alternate representation Conus augur Hwass in Bruguiere, 1792 Conus punctatus Gmelin, 1791 Conus magus Röding, 1798 Conus punctatus Gmelin, 1791 Cucullus magus Röding, 1798 (junior secondary homonym of Conus magus Linnaeus, 1758) Cucullus pulverulentus Röding, 1798 Vituliconus augur (Lightfoot, J., 1786)

Like all species in 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.

Description

The size of an adult shell varies between 45 mm and 76 mm. The creamy white shell is encircled by close rows of very small chestnut dots, with two bands of irregular brown markings—one above and the other below the middle of the body whorl. The spire is maculated with brown.^[4]

Distribution

This marine species occurs in the Indian Ocean, particularly along the Aldabra Atoll and off the coast of Madagascar; as well as in the Southwest Pacific Ocean.