2250
Author
Franklin, J. Benjamin
Author
Subramanian, K. A.
Author
Fernando, S. Antony
Author
Krishnan, K. S.
text
Zootaxa
2009
2009-10-08
2250
1
63
journal article
11755334
15.
Conus caracteristicus
Fischer Von Waldheim, 1807
(Figure 16)
Conus caracteristicus
Fischer Von Waldheim, 1807: 139
, no. 113–116 (representation of
lectotype
,
Chemnitz 1795
: pl. 182, fig. 1761 (40 x
27 mm
) (
Kohn 1981
); "
Java
Sea").
Conus muscosus
Lamarck, 1810: 281
, no. 105 (
holotype
, MNHN (44 x
27 mm
) (
Röckel
et al.
1995
); locality unknown).
Conus characteristicus
Dillwyn, 1817: 367
, no. 26 (
holotype
, same as
lectotype
of
C. caracteristicus
Fischer Von Waldheim
(
Röckel
et al.
1995
); the coast of the Island of St. Bartholomew").
Conus masoni
Nevill & Nevill, 1874: 22
, pl. 1 (
holotype
, BMNH (25 x 14.5 mm) (
Röckel
et al.
1995
); "Andaman Islands").
Conus brevis
E. A.
Smith
, 1877: 222–223
(
Holotype
, BMNH (18.5 x
11 mm
) (
Röckel
et al.
1995
); locality unknown).
Material examined:
MBMCS 115
,
48 specimens
, SL
36–68 mm
; SW
16–36 mm
.
Description.
Shell heavy, glossy, sides straight. Body whorl conical to broadly conical, outline convex below shoulder, straight towards base. Shoulder angulate to rounded. Spire nearly flat; seldom slightly elevated, early whorls form a small bluntly pointed cone. Body whorl with strong spiral ridges anteriorly, separated by wide grooves. Aperture moderately wide, uniform in width, slightly flaring anteriorly; outer lip fairly thin.
Ground colour glossy white or cream with three irregular spiral bands of broad, reddish brown blotches widely inter-spaced below shoulder and on both sides of centre. Shoulder with alternating reddish-brown and white blotches, the same pattern continued on to spire, tip of spire white. Aperture deep yellow. Periostracum yellowish brown, thin, translucent. Siphon with black band on white or pale brown ground colour.
Distribution.
This species has been reported off the Andaman Islands as well as off the coast of Madras (
Röckel
et al.
1995
).
The
specimens described herein were collected from
Pondicherry
to
Nagapattinam
(
Table 6
) by trawling in
10–15 m
.
Remarks.
Röckel
et al.
(1995)
stated that
C. caracteristicus
inhabits sub-tidal to
30 m
depths. Subsequently,
Kohn (2001)
reported this species inhabiting intertidal and shallow sub-tidal regions. We observed this species on sandy bottoms at depths of
10–
15 m
. One specimen collected off Periyakuppam is the largest (
66 mm
) in shell length recorded from the Indian coast.