Conus aureus

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

Conus aureus Hwass in Bruguière, J.G., 1792

Conus aureus Hwass in Bruguière, J.G., 1792

Conus aureus
Five views of a shell of Conus aureus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792
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. aureus
Binomial name
Conus aureus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792
Synonyms[2]
Conus (Cylinder) aureus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792 · accepted, alternate representation Conus aureus aureus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792 Conus auricomus Lamarck, 1810 (invalid: junior homonym of Conus auricomus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792) Cylinder aureus (Hwass in Bruguière, 1792) Cylinder aureus aureus (Hwass in Bruguière, 1792)

Like all species within the genus Conus, these snails are predatory and venomous. They are capable of envenoming humans, therefore live ones should be handled carefully or preferably not at all.

Subspecies

• Conus aureus paulucciae G. B. Sowerby III, 1887

Distribution

This marine species occurs off New Caledonia, Tuamotu, Indo-China, Indo-Malaysia and from Japan to Queensland, Australia.

Description

The size of the shell varies between 40 mm and 80 mm. The shell is subcylindrical, with fine revolving striae. It has an orange-brown color, very finely reticulated with chestnut, with larger subtriangular spots of white, aggregated into masses and bands at the shoulder, middle and base. There are usually a number of longitudinal streaks of chestnut running over the orange-brown reticulated spaces.^[3]