Conus australis

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

Conus australis
Apertural and abapertural views of shell of Conus australis Holten, H.S., 1802
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. australis
Binomial name
Conus australis (Holten, 1802)
Synonyms[2]
Asprella alabasteroides Shikama, 1963 Asprella australis Holten, 1802 Conus armadillo gabryae L. Raybaudi, 1989 Conus australis Lamarck, 1810 Conus cebuganus da Motta & Martin, 1982 Conus duplicatus G. B. Sowerby I, 1823 Conus gabryae Röckel & Korn, 1992 Conus gracilis G.B. Sowerby I, 1823 Conus patamakanthini Delsaerdt, 1998 Conus strigatus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792 (identity doubtful; treated by some authors as a ) Conus (Phasmoconus) australis Holten, 1802 · accepted, alternate representation Graphiconus australis (Holten, 1802)

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.

Description

The size of the shell varies between 40 mm and 123 mm. The shell is distantly channeled throughout. The interstices are usually plane, sometimes minutely granular. The channels are narrow and longitudinally striated. The spire is much elevated, acuminated, striate, sometimes obscurely minutely coronated. The color of the shell is yellowish brown, with light chestnut longitudinal short irregular lines, and clouds of the same color forming three obscure interrupted bands.^[3]

Distribution

This marine species occurs off Japan and in the South China Sea; also off New Caledonia and the Philippines.