Conus caracteristicus

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

Conus caracteristicus
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Neogastropoda
Superfamily:	Conoidea
Family:	Conidae
Genus:	Conus
Species:	C. caracteristicus
Binomial name
Conus caracteristicus Fischer von Waldheim, 1807
Synonyms[2]
Conus (Puncticulis) caracteristicus Fischer von Waldheim, 1807 · accepted, alternate representation Conus brevis E. A. Smith, 1877 Conus characteristicus Dillwyn, 1817 Conus masoni H. Nevill & N. Nevill, 1874 Conus muscosus Lamarck, 1810 Lithoconus caracteristicus (Fischer von Waldheim, 1807) Tesselliconus caracteristicus (Fischer von Waldheim, 1807)

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 19 mm and 88 mm. The color of the shell is white, irregularly longitudinally flamed, forming two (or sometimes three) interrupted broad bands. The body whorl is somewhat inflated, rounded at the upper part, striate below. The spire is striate.^[3]

Distribution

This marine species occurs in the Indian Ocean off Northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and East Africa; from the Bay of Bengal to Indonesia and Japan

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  Conus caracteristicus Fischer von Waldheim, G., 1807
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  Conus caracteristicus Fischer von Waldheim, G., 1807
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  Conus caracteristicus Fischer von Waldheim, G., 1807