Conus luciae

Conus luciae is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.^[1]

Conus luciae
Apertural and abapertural views of shell of Conus luciae Moolenbeek, R.G., 1986
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Neogastropoda
Superfamily:	Conoidea
Family:	Conidae
Genus:	Conus
Species:	C. luciae
Binomial name
Conus luciae Moolenbeek, 1986
Synonyms[1]
Conus (Turriconus) luciae Moolenbeek, 1986 · accepted, alternate representation Kurodaconus luciae (Moolenbeek, 1986) Profundiconus luciae (Moolenbeek, 1986) Turriconus (Kurodaconus) luciae (Moolenbeek, 1986)

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 21 mm and 62 mm. Conus luciae exhibits a distinctive reproductive strategy: it is a non-broadcast spawner, meaning it does not release its gametes into the water column for external fertilization. Additionally, its life cycle notably lacks a trochophore stage, which is a free-swimming larval phase common in many marine mollusks. This information is documented in SeaLifeBase. ^[2] The absence of a trochophore stage suggests a more direct development, potentially limiting larval dispersal and influencing the species' distribution and population structure. Such traits are significant for understanding the ecology and evolution of this species.

Distribution

This marine species occurs in the Coral Sea and off New Caledonia.