Conus spurius

{{Short description|Species of sea snail}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}

{{Speciesbox

| taxon = Conus spurius

| image =Lindaconus spurius 01.JPG

| image_caption = Lindaconus spurius

| image2 =Lindaconus spurius 02.JPG

| image2_caption = Fossil, Pliocene

| authority = Gmelin, 1791

| synonyms_ref = {{WRMS species|420223|Conus spurius Gmelin, 1791||27 March 2010}}

| synonyms =

  • Conus (Lindaconus) spurius Gmelin, 1791 · accepted, alternate representation
  • Conus (Spuriconus) spurius Gmelin, 1791
  • Conus leoninus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792 (invalid: junior homonym of Conus spurius [Lightfoot], 1786)
  • Conus ochraceus Lamarck, 1810
  • Conus paulina Kiener, 1850
  • Conus proteus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792
  • Conus spurius arubaensis Nowell-Usticke, 1968
  • Conus spurius atlanticus Clench, 1942
  • Conus weinkauffii Löbbecke, 1882
  • Cucullus ferugineus Röding, 1798
  • Cucullus flammeus Röding, 1798
  • Cucullus gualterianus Röding, 1798
  • Cucullus leoninus Röding, 1798
  • Cucullus syriacus Röding, 1798
  • Lindaconus spurius (Gmelin, 1791)
  • Spuriconus spurius (Gmelin, 1791)

| display_parents = 3

}}

Conus spurius, common name the alphabet cone, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.

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.

;Subspecies:

  • Conus spurius aureofasciatus Rehder & Abbott, 1951(synonym: Lindaconus spurius aureofasciatus (Rehder & Abbott, 1951))
  • Conus spurius baylei Jousseaume, 1872 (synonyms: Conus baylei Jousseaume, 1872; Lindaconus spurius baylei (Jousseaume, 1872) )
  • Conus spurius lorenzianus Dillwyn, 1817 (synonyms: Conus flammeus Lamarck, 1810 (invalid: junior secondary homonym of Cucullus flammeus Röding, 1798; C. phlogopus is a replacement name); Conus lorenzianus Dillwyn, 1817; Conus phlogopus Tomlin, 1937; Conus undatus Kiener, 1847; Lindaconus spurius lorenzianus (Dillwyn, 1817))
  • Conus spurius spurius Gmelin, 1791 (synonym: Lindaconus spurius spurius (Gmelin, 1791))

Distribution

This marine species occurs from East Florida to Venezuela; also off the West Indies.

Description

The maximum recorded shell length is 80 mm.Welch J. J. (2010). "The "Island Rule" and Deep-Sea Gastropods: Re-Examining the Evidence". PLoS ONE 5(1): e8776. {{doi|10.1371/journal.pone.0008776}}.

The shell is white, with revolving series of spots and irregular or cloud-like markings of orange, chestnut or chocolate, often forming interrupted bands. The base of the shell is grooved. The spire shows a single broad sulcus.[https://archive.org/details/manualconch06tryorich G.W. Tryon (1884) Manual of Conchology, structural and systematic, with illustrations of the species, vol. VI; Philadelphia, Academy of Natural Sciences] (described as Conus proteus)

Larval stage

Conus spurius larvae hatch from egg capsules, swim for a couple of hours at most, then settle to the bottom as young adults.

Aided by currents, it is at this larval stage when range extension of the species is achieved.

Habitat

Minimum recorded depth is 0 m. Maximum recorded depth is 64 m.

References

{{Reflist}}

  • Rosenberg, G.; Moretzsohn, F.; García, E. F. (2009). Gastropoda (Mollusca) of the Gulf of Mexico, Pp. 579–699 in: Felder, D.L. and D.K. Camp (eds.), Gulf of Mexico–Origins, Waters, and Biota. Texas A&M Press, College Station, Texas.
  • [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]

File:Conus spurius 1.jpg|Conus spurius Gmelin, J.F., 1791

File:Conus spurius 2.jpg|Conus spurius Gmelin, J.F., 1791

File:Conus spurius 3.jpg|Conus spurius Gmelin, J.F., 1791