Conus obscurus

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

Conus obscurus
Apertural view of Conus obscurus
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Neogastropoda
Superfamily:	Conoidea
Family:	Conidae
Genus:	Conus
Species:	C. obscurus
Binomial name
Conus obscurus G. B. Sowerby I, 1833[1]
Synonyms[2]
Conus (Gastridium) obscurus G. B. Sowerby I, 1833 · accepted, alternate representation Conus halitropus Bartsch & Rehder, 1943 Gastridium obscurus Habe, 1964 Protostrioconus obscurus (G.B. Sowerby I, 1833)

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 20 mm and 44 mm. This small to medium-sized shell is shaped like a small Conus geographus but with smaller coronations on the shoulder. The shell is subcylindrical, violaceous, with chestnut blotches, forming two interrupted bands, and faint lines of minute chestnut and white articulations. The aperture is very wide anteriorly caused by a concave lower half of the columella.^[3]

Distribution

This species occurs in the Indian Ocean off Aldabra, the Mascarene Basin and Tanzania; in the tropical Indo-Pacific to Hawaii and French Polynesia; off the Philippines and Australia (Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia), and Vanuatu.^[4][5]