Conus litteratus
{{Short description|Species of sea snail}}
{{Speciesbox
| taxon = Conus litteratus
| image = Conusliteratus.jpg
| image_caption = Two views of a shell of Conus litteratus
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| synonyms =
- Conus (Elisaconus) litteratus Linnaeus, 1758 · accepted, alternate representation
- Conus arabicus Lamarck, 1810
- Conus grueneri Reeve, 1844
- Cucullus pardus Röding, 1798
- Elisaconus litteratus (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Strategoconus litteratus (Linnaeus, 1758)
| display_parents = 3
}}
Conus litteratus, common name the lettered cone, is a species of sophisticated predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snail, cone shells or cones.Bouchet, P. (2015). Conus litteratus Linnaeus, 1758. In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=215522 on 2015-10-21
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 24 mm and 186 mm. The thick, heavy shell has a flat spire. Its color is cream with 2-3 axial bands of yellow or orange bands dotted with black.
Habitat
It can be found in sand in and among coral in shallow water.
Distribution
This is a widespread Indo-Pacific species, occurring in the Indian Ocean off Tanzania, Madagascar, the Mascarene Basin.
Life habits
This cone species hunts and eats marine worms.
References
{{Reflist}}
- [http://gdz.sub.uni-goettingen.de/no_cache/dms/load/toc/?IDDOC=265100 Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Editio decima, reformata. Laurentius Salvius: Holmiae. ii, 824 pp] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170613040751/http://gdz.sub.uni-goettingen.de/no_cache/dms/load/toc/?IDDOC=265100 |date=2017-06-13 }}
- [https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mollus/eyu055 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]
Gallery
File:Conus litteratus 1.jpg|102 mm, Australia
File:Conus litteratus 2.jpg|69.4 mm, Philippines
File:Conus litteratus 3.jpg|92.6 mm, Philippines
External links
{{Commons category|Conus litteratus}}
- [http://www.coneshell.net/pages/c_litteratus.htm Conus litteratus Picture] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110414143306/http://www.coneshell.net/pages/c_litteratus.htm |date=2011-04-14 }} - An image of this species
- [http://biology.burke.washington.edu/conus/recordview/record.php?ID=1619ll&tabs=21111111&frms=1&res=&pglimit=L Conus litteratus] - Information on this species
- [http://www.coneshells-am.ru/ Cone Shells - Knights of the Sea]
- {{Gastropods.com|key=3|id=663|title=Strategoconus litteratus|access-date=16 January 2019}}
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