Conus felitae

Conus felitae is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies. It is a small, predatory, and venomous snail endemic to the Cape Verde archipelago, where its entire known population is restricted to a single bay on the island of Sal.

Conus felitae
Apertural and abapertural views of shell of Conus felitae Rolán, E.M., 1990
Conservation status
Vulnerable  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Neogastropoda
Superfamily:	Conoidea
Family:	Conidae
Genus:	Conus
Species:	C. felitae
Binomial name
Conus felitae Rolán, 1990
Synonyms[2]
Africonus felitae (Rolán, 1990) Conus (Lautoconus) felitae Rolán, 1990 · accepted, alternate representation

Due to its extremely limited range and severe, localized threats from coastal development and pollution, it is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Its classification has been subject to scientific debate, reflecting broader changes in cone snail taxonomy from traditional morphology to modern molecular phylogenetics.^[3][4]

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.

Taxonomy and systematics

Conus felitae was first described by Spanish malacologist Emilio Rolán in 1990 as part of a major work on new cone snail species from Cape Verde.^[5][6] The holotype specimen, measuring 12.7 mm, was collected from Rabo de Junco, at the northern end of Baía de Murdeira, Sal Island, and is housed in the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales in Madrid.

The classification of the species has evolved with scientific understanding of the family Conidae:

• In 2009, a comprehensive reclassification based on shell morphology and radular anatomy by Tucker & Tenorio moved C. felitae to the genus Africonus. This genus was proposed for the endemic Cape Verdean cone snails, which form a distinct group characterized by a paucispiral (few-whorled) protoconch and a presumed worm-eating diet. This classification, Africonus felitae, is still recognized by the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) as an "alternate representation".

• In 2015, a large-scale molecular phylogeny study by Puillandre et al. recommended consolidating most cone snails back into the single genus Conus. In this widely accepted framework, the Cape Verdean species are placed within Conus, and C. felitae is assigned to the subgenus Lautoconus.

More recent mitogenomic research has raised questions about "taxonomic inflation" among Cape Verdean cones, suggesting that many range-restricted species may be local forms of more widespread species.^[7] While C. felitae has not been formally synonymized, this ongoing debate has significant implications for its conservation status, as official protection is tied to its recognition as a distinct species.

Description

The shell of Conus felitae is small, with sizes typically ranging from 11 mm to 24 mm, though some specimens have reached 30 mm.^[8] The shell has a conical to broadly conical shape, with a somewhat shortened last whorl. The spire is pointed and slightly elevated with a concave profile. The shoulder is rounded.

The body whorl is generally smooth with a fine, silky texture, though some fine spiral ribs may be present at the base. The ground color is a uniform dark brown, marked by two lighter spiral bands—a more prominent one on the lower half of the body whorl and a less distinct one just below the shoulder. The pattern shows little variation among known specimens.^{[citation needed]}

The aperture is narrow and straight. Its interior is clear but has a light violet color in the upper portion. The outer lip is dark, contrasting with the white columella. The periostracum (the outermost organic layer of the shell) is thin, yellow, and transparent. No description of the soft parts of the living animal is available.^{[citation needed]}

Distribution and habitat

Conus felitae is a hyper-endemic species, known only from the Cape Verde archipelago. Its distribution is confined to its type locality on Sal Island: a small area in the northern part of Baía de Murdeira.

The species inhabits the marine neritic zone, living on the seafloor in shallow subtidal waters at depths of approximately one to five meters. This shallow habitat makes the species highly vulnerable to coastal human activities.

Ecology and life cycle

Diet and venom

Like other members of its genus, Conus felitae is a predatory carnivore. Based on its phylogenetic relationship to other Cape Verdean species in the Africonus clade, it is presumed to be vermivorous, preying on marine polychaete worms. It uses a venom-injecting, harpoon-like radula tooth to capture its prey. While the venom of C. felitae has not been directly studied, research on related West African cone snails suggests it likely contains a complex cocktail of conotoxins, primarily from the T, O1, O2, and M superfamilies.^[9]

Reproduction and development

Conus felitae is a non-broadcast spawner, with females laying eggs in protective capsules.^[10] The species has direct development, meaning it lacks a free-swimming planktonic larval stage. Juveniles hatch as small, crawling snails that immediately settle into a benthic lifestyle.^[11] This limited dispersal capability is a key factor in the high rate of speciation among Cape Verdean cone snails, as it promotes genetic isolation between populations. However, it also makes species like C. felitae extremely vulnerable to local threats, as they cannot easily colonize new areas.

Conservation status

Conus felitae is assessed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List under criterion D2. This classification is applied to species with a very restricted area of occupancy or number of locations (five or fewer), making them susceptible to rapid decline from human activities or stochastic events.

The primary threats to the species are concentrated in its only known habitat, Baía de Murdeira:

• Habitat destruction: Large-scale tourism development, including resorts and marinas, is planned for the northern part of the bay, which would directly destroy the snail's shallow-water habitat.
• Pollution: The bay is at risk from land-based sources like sewage and waste, as well as potential oil spills from nearby port traffic.
• Human disturbance: Its shallow depth makes it accessible to tourists, fishers, and shell collectors, leading to risks of trampling and over-collection.

Although Baía de Murdeira is designated as a marine protected area, enforcement is reportedly weak, and its protective status is threatened by development plans. Researchers have warned that if these threats are not mitigated, the species may warrant reclassification to Critically Endangered.

Etymology

The specific name felitae was given by Emilio Rolán in the original 1990 description. The etymology of the name was not provided in the publication and remains unknown.