Conus imperialis

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

Conus imperialis
Five views of a shell of Conus imperialis Linné,1758
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. imperialis
Binomial name
Conus imperialis Linnaeus, 1758[2]
Synonyms[3]
Conus (Stephanoconus) imperialis Linnaeus, 1758 · accepted, alternate representation Conus compactus Wils, 1970 Conus coronaducalis Röding, 1798 Conus dautzenbergi Fenaux, 1942 Conus douvillei Fenaux, 1942 Conus flavescens Barros e Cunha, 1933 (invalid, junior homonym of Conus flavescens G. B. Sowerby I, 1834) Conus fuscatus Born, 1778 Conus fuscatus dautzenbergi Fenaux, 1942 Conus imperialis compactus Wils, 1970 Conus imperialis flavescens Barros e Cunha, 1933 Conus imperialis nigrescens Barros e Cunha, 1933 Conus nigrescens Barros e Cunha, 1933 (invalid, junior homonym of Conus nigrescens G. B. Sowerby II, 1860 ) Conus regius Röding, 1798 (invalid, junior homonym of Conus regius Gmelin, 1791) Conus viridulus Lamarck, 1810 Cucullus coronaducalis Röding, 1798 Cucullus imperialis Röding, 1798 Cucullus regius Röding, 1798 Rhombiconus imperialis viridulus (f) Lamarck, J.B.P.A. de, 1810

Conus imperialis Linnaeus, C., 1758

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.

Subspecies

• Conus imperialis imperialis Linnaeus, 1758 (synonym: Rhombiconus imperialis imperialis (Linnaeus, C., 1758))
• Conus imperialis queketti E. A. Smith, 1906 (synonyms: Conus queketti E. A. Smith, 1906; Rhombiconus imperialis queketti (E. A. Smith, 1906) · accepted, alternate representation)

Description

The size of an adult shell varies between 40 mm and 110 mm. The color of the thick shell is yellowish white or cream, with numerous interrupted revolving lines and spots of dark brown and two irregular and wider light brown bands. In the synonym Conus fuscatus, the light brown coloring extends in clouds and irregular markings over the surface, so that the bands can scarcely be defined.^[4] The shell has a flat but nodular spire and shoulders.

Distribution

This species occurs in the Indian Ocean off Aldabra, Madagascar, the Mascarene Basin and Mauritius; in the entire Pacific Ocean; off Australia (the Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia)