Conus sulcatus

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

Conus sulcatus
Apertural and abapertural views of shell of Conus sulcatus Hwass in Bruguière, J.G., 1792
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Neogastropoda
Superfamily:	Conoidea
Family:	Conidae
Genus:	Conus
Species:	C. sulcatus
Binomial name
Conus sulcatus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792
Synonyms[1]
Asprella sulcata (Hwass in Bruguière, 1792) · accepted, alternate representation Conus (Asprella) sulcatus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792 · accepted, alternate representation Conus asper Lamarck, 1810 Conus bocki G. B. Sowerby III, 1881 Conus brettinghami Coomans, Moolenbeek & Wils, 1982 Conus costatus Holten, 1802 (invalid: junior homonym of Conus costatus Gmelin, 1791) Conus orbitatus Reeve, 1843 Conus samiae da Motta, 1982 Conus undulatus G. B. Sowerby II, 1858 (Invalid: junior homonym of Conus undulatus [Lightfoot], 1786; C. brettinghami Coomans et al., 1982, is a replacement name)

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 89 mm. The smooth shell shows revolving grooves crossed by longitudinal striae. The intermediate ridges are flat or rounded. The short spire is carinated, striate, sometimes with distant compressed tubercles. The ground color of the shell is light yellowish brown, or whitish.^[2]

Conantokin-Br is a toxin derived from the venom of Conus sulcatus.

Distribution

This marine species occurs off Japan, Taiwan, in the Bay of Bengal and off the Solomon Islands, New Caledonia and Queensland, Australia.