''Conus vexillum'',
common name
In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...
the vexillum cone or the flag cone, is a species of
sea snail
Sea snail is a common name for slow-moving marine gastropod molluscs, usually with visible external shells, such as whelk or abalone. They share the taxonomic class Gastropoda with slugs, which are distinguished from snails primarily by the ...
, a marine
gastropod
The gastropods (), commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda ().
This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, from freshwater, and from land. T ...
mollusk in the
family Conidae
Conidae, with the current common name of "cone snails", is a taxonomic family (previously subfamily) of predatory sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the superfamily Conoidea.
The 2014 classification of the superfamily Conoidea, groups onl ...
, the
cone snails
A cone is a three-dimensional geometric shape that tapers smoothly from a flat base (frequently, though not necessarily, circular) to a point called the apex or vertex.
A cone is formed by a set of line segments, half-lines, or lines co ...
and their allies.
These snails are
predatory and
venomous. They are capable of "stinging" humans, therefore alive ones should be handled carefully or not at all.
Description
The size of the shell varies between . The shell is large and rather thin. The
spire is striate. The color of the shell is yellowish or chestnut, with an irregular white central band, sometimes obsolete, and occasionally another interrupted band at the shoulder. The spire is variegated with white and chestnut broad flames, the latter often overlaying also the lighter chestnut of the
body whorl
The body whorl is part of the morphology of the shell in those gastropod mollusks that possess a coiled shell. The term is also sometimes used in a similar way to describe the shell of a cephalopod mollusk.
In gastropods
In gastropods, the b ...
.
Distribution
The species is found across the entire Indo-Pacific from Natal to Hawaii and French Polynesia and Japan to Australia (
Northern Territory,
Queensland,
Western Australia). The subspecies ''Conus vexillium sumatrensis'' is restricted to the northwest Indian Ocean.
Habitat and Ecology
Juveniles of this species are present on intertidal benches whereas adults will occur along subtidal reefs to about . Individuals that are present around the Hawaiian Islands occur between . There have been sightings of this species in shallow water, lagoon pinnacles, sand, sand with gravel, among weed or rocks and under dead coral. It is said to be able to withstand rough waters. The species feeds on
eunicid polychaetes.
[Röckel, D., Korn, W. & Kohn, A.J. 1995. Manual of the Living Conidae, Vol 1. Verlag Christa Hemmen.]
References
* Röding, P.F. 1798. ''Museum Boltenianum sive Catalogus cimeliorum e tribus regnis naturae quae olim collegerat Joa''. Hamburg : Trappii 199 pp.
* 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.
Kiener L.C. 1844–1850. ''Spécies général et iconographie des coquilles vivantes. Vol. 2. Famille des Enroulées. Genre Cone (Conus, Lam.)'', pp. 1–379* Bernardi, A. C. 1858
''Descriptions d'espèces nouvelles.'' Journal de Conchyliologie 7: 182–184* Hedley, C. 1899. ''The Mollusca of Funafuti. Part 1. Gastropoda''. Memoirs of the Australian Museum 3(7): 395–488, 49 text figs
* Demond, J. 1957. ''Micronesian reef associated gastropods''. Pacific Science 11(3): 275–341, fig. 2, pl. 1
* Gillett, K. & McNeill, F. 1959. ''The Great Barrier Reef and Adjacent Isles: a comprehensive survey for visitor, naturalist and photographer''. Sydney : Coral Press 209 pp.
* Maes, V.O. 1967. ''The littoral marine mollusks of Cocos-Keeling Islands (Indian Ocean).'' Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia 119: 93–217
* Wilson, B.R. & Gillett, K. 1971. ''Australian Shells: illustrating and describing 600 species of marine gastropods found in Australian waters.'' Sydney : Reed Books 168 pp.
* Salvat, B. & Rives, C. 1975. ''Coquillages de Polynésie''. Tahiti : Papéete Les editions du pacifique, pp. 1–391.
* Röckel, D., Korn, W. & Kohn, A.J. 1995. ''Manual of the Living Conidae. Volume 1: Indo-Pacific Region.'' Wiesbaden : Hemmen 517 pp.
* Filmer R.M. (2001). ''A Catalogue of Nomenclature and Taxonomy in the Living Conidae 1758 – 1998.'' Backhuys Publishers, Leiden. 388pp.
* Tucker J.K. (2009). ''Recent cone species database''. September 4, 2009 Edition.
* Tucker J.K. & Tenorio M.J. (2009) ''Systematic classification of Recent and fossil conoidean gastropods.'' Hackenheim: Conchbooks. 296 pp.
* Severns M. (2011) ''Shells of the Hawaiian Islands – The Sea Shells.'' Conchbooks, Hackenheim. 564 pp.
*
Gallery
File:Conus vexillum 1.jpg, ''Conus vexillu''m Gmelin, J.F., 1791
File:Conus vexillum 2.jpg, ''Conus vexillum'' Gmelin, J.F., 1791
File:Conus vexillum 3.jpg, ''Conus vexillum'' Gmelin, J.F., 1791
External links
*
The ''Conus'' Biodiversity websiteCone Shells – Knights of the SeaHolotype in MNHN, Paris
{{DEFAULTSORT:Conus vexillum
vexillum
Gastropods described in 1791
Taxa named by Johann Friedrich Gmelin