Conus tessulatus

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

Conus tessulatus
A shell of Conus tessulatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Neogastropoda
Superfamily:	Conoidea
Family:	Conidae
Genus:	Conus
Species:	C. tessulatus
Binomial name
Conus tessulatus Born, 1778
Synonyms[1]
Conus (Tesselliconus) tessulatus Born, 1778 · accepted, alternate representation Cucullus pavimentum Röding, 1798 Dendroconus tessulatus (Born, 1778) Lithoconus tessulatus (Born, 1778) Tesselliconus tessulatus (Born, 1778)

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 22 mm and 82 mm. The top is rather flat with a rather pointed spire and rounded shoulders. The ground color of the shell is white, covered with bands red, chestnut or orange squares and rectangles. The base of the shell is sometimes tinged with black.

Distribution

Conus tessulatus has perhaps the largest range of any known species of Cone snail. Its habitat ranges from the east coast of Africa across the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean to the west coast of Central America from Western Mexico to Costa Rica; also off Australia (Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia)^[2]

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  Conus tessulatus Born, I. von, 1778
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  Conus tessulatus Born, I. von, 1778
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  Conus tessulatus Born, I. von, 1778