Conus moluccensis

Conus moluccensis, common name the Molucca cone, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.^[2]

Conus moluccensis
Apertural and abapertural views of shell of Conus moluccensis Kuester, H.C., 1838
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Neogastropoda
Superfamily:	Conoidea
Family:	Conidae
Genus:	Conus
Species:	C. moluccensis
Binomial name
Conus moluccensis Küster, 1838[1]
Synonyms[2]
Conus (Phasmoconus) moluccensis Küster, 1838 · accepted, alternate representation Conus grondini Larue, 1995 (unavailable name: proposed conditionally) Conus merleti Mayissian, 1974 Conus moluccensis f. merleti Mayissian, 1974 (unavailable name: infrasubspecific rank) Conus moluccensis moluccensis Küster, 1838 Conus stainforthii Reeve, 1843 Fulgiconus moluccensis (Küster, 1838) Fulgiconus moluccensis f. merleti (Mayissian, 1974) (unavailable name: infrasubspecific rank) Phasmoconus merleti (Mayissian, 1974) Phasmoconus moluccensis (Küster, 1838)

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 moluccensis marielae Rehder & Wilson, 1975: synonym of Conus marielae Rehder & Wilson, 1975
• Conus moluccensis moluccensis Küster, 1838: synonym of Conus moluccensis Küster, 1838
• Conus moluccensis vappereaui Monteiro, 2009:^[3][4] synonym of Conus vappereaui Monteiro, 2009^[5]

Description

The size of an adult shell varies between 30 mm and 60 mm. The coronated shell is yellowish white, marbled and streaked with chestnut, with minute revolving lines of granules, which are often somewhat articulated red-brown and white.^[6]

Distribution

This species occurs in the Indian Ocean off the Mascarene Basin;^[2] off Fiji, Indo-China, Indonesia, Maldives, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands; off Australia (Queensland).