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

Conus moreleti
Apertural and abapertural views of shell of Conus moreleti Crosse, H., 1858
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Neogastropoda
Superfamily: Conoidea
Family: Conidae
Genus: Conus
Species:
C. moreleti
Binomial name
Conus moreleti
Crosse, 1858
Synonyms[1]
  • Conus (Virgiconus) moreleti Crosse, 1858 · accepted, alternate representation
  • Conus elongatus Reeve, 1843
  • Conus oblitus Reeve, 1849 (junior homonym of Conus oblitus Michelotti, 1847)
  • Virgiconus moreleti (Crosse, 1858)

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 edit

The size of the shell varies between 25 mm and 61 mm. The narrow shell contains a convexly depressed, tuberculated spire. The body whorl is striate below. Its color is yellowish olivaceous, indistinctly white-banded in the middle. The tubercles, and a band below the shoulder is white. The base of the shell and the aperture is violaceous.[2]

Distribution edit

This species occurs in the Indian Ocean off the Mascarene Basin and off Eastern Africa; off French Polynesia and Hawaii; off Australia (Northern Territory, Queensland).

References edit

  • Reeve, L.A. 1843. Monograph of the genus Conus. pls 1–39 in Reeve, L.A. (ed.). Conchologica Iconica. London : L. Reeve & Co. Vol. 1.
  • Reeve, L.A. 1849. Monograph of the genus Conus. pls 4–9 in Reeve, L.A. (ed). Conchologia Iconica. London : L. Reeve & Co. Vol. 1.
  • Crosse, M. 1858. Observations sur la genre Cone et description de trois espèces nouvelles, avec une catalogue alphabétique des cones actuellement connus. Revue et Magasin de Zoologie Pure et Appliquée 2 10: 113–209, 1 pl.
  • Hinton, A. 1972. Shells of New Guinea and the Central Indo-Pacific. Milton : Jacaranda Press xviii 94 pp.
  • Salvat, B. & Rives, C. 1975. Coquillages de Polynésie. Tahiti : Papéete Les editions du pacifique, pp. 1–391.
  • Kay, E.A. 1979. Hawaiian Marine Shells. Reef and shore fauna of Hawaii. Section 4 : Mollusca. Honolulu, Hawaii : Bishop Museum Press Bernice P. Bishop Museum Special Publication Vol. 64(4) 653 pp
  • Wilson, B. 1994. Australian Marine Shells. Prosobranch Gastropods. Kallaroo, WA : Odyssey Publishing Vol. 2 370 pp.
  • Röckel, D., Korn, W. & Kohn, A.J. 1995. Manual of the Living Conidae. Volume 1: Indo-Pacific Region. Wiesbaden : Hemmen 517 pp.
  • Tucker J.K. & Tenorio M.J. (2013) Illustrated catalog of the living cone shells. 517 pp. Wellington, Florida: MdM Publishing
  • Puillandre N., Duda T.F., Meyer C., Olivera B.M. & Bouchet P. (2015). One, four or 100 genera? A new classification of the cone snails. Journal of Molluscan Studies. 81: 1–23

External links edit

  • The Conus Biodiversity website
  • Cone Shells – Knights of the Sea
  • "Virgiconus moreleti". Gastropods.com. Retrieved 16 January 2019.