Conus excelsus

Conus excelsus, commonly known as the excelsior cone or illustrious cone, is a species of predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails.^[2]

Conus excelsus
The shell of Conus excelsus
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. excelsus
Binomial name
Conus excelsus Sowerby III, 1908
Synonyms[2]
Asprella tannaensis Cotton, 1945 Conus pulcherrimus Brazier, 1894 (invalid: junior homonym of Conus pulcherrimus Heilprin, 1879) Conus (Turriconus) excelsus G. B. Sowerby III, 1908 · accepted, alternate representation Kenyonia pulcherrima Brazier, 1896 Turriconus excelsus (G. B. Sowerby III, 1908) Turriconus nakayasui Shikama & Habe, 1968

Shell description

The shell has a very high spire, with a size varying between 28 mm and 102 mm, compared to most cone shells, and thus it is exceptionally long relative to its width. This, and its overall rarity, makes it desirable to shell collectors. Its coloration consists of orangish to yellow pattern on a white background.

Distribution

Conus excelsus is an Indo-Pacific species found principally around the Philippines, but also as north as southern Japan and as far east as New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. it also occurs off Queensland, Australia^[3]

The species is rare but not endangered.