Conus diadema

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

Conus diadema
Apertural view of shell of Conus diadema G.B. Sowerby I, 1834, measuring 44.5 mm in height, collected at 20 ft. off west side of Ceralbo Island, in Mexico.
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. diadema
Binomial name
Conus diadema G. B. Sowerby I, 1834
Synonyms[2]
Conus (Lividoconus) diadema G. B. Sowerby I, 1834 · accepted, alternate representation Conus prytanis G. B. Sowerby III, 1882 Lividoconus diadema (G. B. Sowerby I, 1834)

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 25 mm and 60 mm. The short spire is conical and tuberculate. The color of the shell is uniformly brown, lineated with chocolate, with sometimes longitudinal white maculations forming a broad central interrupted band, and a few additional maculations on other portions of the surface. The base of the shell is subgranularly striate.^[3]

Conus diadema Sowerby, G.B. I, 1834

Conus diadema Sowerby, G.B. I, 1834

Distribution

This marine species occurs in the Gulf of California, Western Mexico to Panama; off the Galápagos Islands.