Conus melvilli

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

Conus melvilli
Apertural and abapertural views of shell of Conus melvilli Sowerby, G.B. III, 1879
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. melvilli
Binomial name
Conus melvilli G. B. Sowerby III, 1879[2]
Synonyms[3]
Chelyconus boschi Clover, P.W., 1972 Conus (Quasiconus) melvilli G. B. Sowerby III, 1879 · accepted, alternate representation Conus boschi Clover, 1972 Conus pusio G. B. Sowerby II, 1834 Quasiconus melvilli (G. B. Sowerby III, 1879)

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 18 mm and 32 mm. The solid shell is abbreviately subcylindrical, and obtusely angulated. It is smooth and crenate-sulcate in front. ts color is grayish white, with cinnamon brown longitudinal clouds, and undulating revolving lines. The interstices show some curved longitudinal lines. The obtuse spire is strigate with brown. The aperture is brown-tinted.^[4]

Distribution

This marine species occurs off Oman, in the Persian Gulf and perhaps off the Maldives