Conus byssinus

Conus byssinus, common name the lesser butterfly cone, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.^[1]

Conus byssinus
Five views of a shell of Conus byssinus (Röding, P.F., 1798)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Neogastropoda
Superfamily:	Conoidea
Family:	Conidae
Genus:	Conus
Species:	C. byssinus
Binomial name
Conus byssinus (Röding, 1798)
Synonyms[1]
Conus (Kalloconus) byssinus (Röding, 1798) · accepted, alternate representation Cucullus byssinus Röding, 1798 Kalloconus byssinus (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.

Description

The size of the shell varies between 33 mm and 80 mm.

Distribution

This species occurs in the Atlantic Ocean off the Western Sahara.