Conus retifer

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

Conus retifer
Apertural and abapertural views of shell of Conus retifer Menke, C.T., 1829
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Neogastropoda
Superfamily:	Conoidea
Family:	Conidae
Genus:	Conus
Species:	C. retifer
Binomial name
Conus retifer Menke, 1829
Synonyms[1]
Conus (Cylinder) retifer (Menke, 1829) · accepted, alternate representation Conus solidus G. B. Sowerby I, 1841 (invalid: junior homonym of Conus solidus Gmelin, 1791) Conus textile var. sulcata G. B. Sowerby I, 1834 (invalid: junior homonym of Conus sulcatus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792; Conus solidus G.B. Sowerby I, 1841, is a replacement name) Cylinder retifer (Menke, 1829) Gastridium retifer Salvat, B. & Rives, C. 1975

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 25 mm and 69 mm. The shell is pear-shaped, with revolving striae. Its color is reticulated orange-brown with large and small triangular white patches, and zigzag longitudinal chocolate markings, mostly interrupted so as to form one or two bands. The interior of the aperture is light violaceous.^[2]

Distribution

This marine species has a wide distribution in the tropical Indo-West Pacific: Mozambique, Tanzania, the Mascarene Islands, Indo-China, Indo-Malaysia, Oceania; and off Australia (Christmas Island)