Conus ferrugineus

Conus ferrugineus is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.^[3]

Conus ferrugineus
Apertural view of Conus ferrugineus
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. ferrugineus
Binomial name
Conus ferrugineus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792[2]
Synonyms[3]
Conus (Strategoconus) ferrugineus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792 accepted, alternate representation Conus chenui Crosse, 1857 Conus loebbeckeanus Weinkauff, 1873 Conus mirmillo Crosse, 1865 Conus sophiae Brazier, 1875 Vituliconus ferrugineus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792

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 an adult shell varies between 40 mm and 93 mm. The thin shell has a depressed carinate and striate spire, which is yellowish, maculated with brown. The body whorl is striated below, yellowish, with two series of longitudinal forked and irregular dark brown markings, interrupted in the middle and at the base. There are traces of distant narrow brown revolving lines. The aperture is white.^[4]

Colour of the living mollusc is a bright lemon-yellow.

Distribution

This species occurs in the Pacific Ocean from Indonesia to the Marquesas islands, off Australia (Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia) and New Caledonia.