''Rochia conus'', common name the cone top shell, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of sea snail, a marine gastropod

mollusk Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is e ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Tegulidae Tegulidae is a family of small to large sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Trochoidea (according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005).Bouchet, P. (2013). Tegulidae Kuroda, Habe & Oyama, 1971. Access ...

.MolluscaBase eds. (2022). MolluscaBase. Rochia conus (Gmelin, 1791). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1251279 on 2022-08-20

Description

The height of the shell varies between 45 mm and 70 mm, its diameter between 45 mm and 60 mm. The solid, thick shell has a conic-pyramidal shape. Its, axis is imperforate but appears sub-umbilicate. It is white, longitudinally flammulated with bright red. The

spire A spire is a tall, slender, pointed structure on top of a roof of a building or tower, especially at the summit of church steeples. A spire may have a square, circular, or polygonal plan, with a roughly conical or pyramidal shape. Spires a ...

is conic. The

apex The apex is the highest point of something. The word may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional entities * Apex (comics), a teenaged super villainess in the Marvel Universe * Ape-X, a super-intelligent ape in the Squadron Supreme universe *Apex, ...

is acute. The 10 whorls are spirally encircled by numerous (about 10 on upper surface) beaded lirae, which are separated by superficial interstices. Above the sutures there is a series of short folds or knobs which usually become obsolescent upon the periphery of the body whorl. The body whorl is obtuse at the periphery, nearly flat below, indented around the false umbilicus, obsoletely concentrically lirate, the lirae about 9 in number, red and white articulated, interstices white. The

aperture In optics, an aperture is a hole or an opening through which light travels. More specifically, the aperture and focal length of an optical system determine the cone angle of a bundle of rays that come to a focus in the image plane. An ...

is transversely rhomboidal, somewhat rounded. The

columella Lucius Junius Moderatus Columella (; Arabic: , 4 – ) was a prominent writer on agriculture in the Roman Empire. His ' in twelve volumes has been completely preserved and forms an important source on Roman agriculture, together with the wo ...

is nearly vertically descending, subdentate at base, above with a profoundly entering spiral fold. The parietal wall bears a heavy transparent callus, which is excavated around the axis.Tryon (1889), Manual of Conchology XI, Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia
(described as ''Trochus acutangulus'')

Distribution

This marine species occurs in the

Red Sea The Red Sea ( ar, البحر الأحمر - بحر القلزم, translit=Modern: al-Baḥr al-ʾAḥmar, Medieval: Baḥr al-Qulzum; or ; Coptic: ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϩⲁϩ ''Phiom Enhah'' or ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϣⲁⲣⲓ ''Phiom ǹšari''; ...

, off the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

, Indo-Mamaysia, off

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

, New Caledonia and

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, Australia.

References

* Chemnitz, J.H. 1781. ''Neues systematisches Conchylien'' - Cabinet. Nürnberg : G.N. Raspe Vol. 5 1–324, pls 160–193. * Perry, G. 1810. ''Arcana; or The Museum of Natural History: containing the most recent discovered objects''. London : George Smeeton pl. I-XLVIII. * Perry, G. 1811. ''Conchology, or the natural history of shells containing a new arrangement of the genera and species, illustrated by coloured engravings, executed from the natural specimens and including the latest discoveries''. London : W. Miller 4 pp., 62 pls. l. 47, fig. 3(as ''Trochus elatus'', misidentification cf. Hedley's notes) * Quoy, J.M.C. & Gaimard, J.P. 1835. ''Voyage de découvertes de l'Astrolabe, exécuté par ordre du Roi, pendant les années 1826-1829''. Paris : J. Tastu 954 pp., atlas, 107 pls. * Deshayes, G.P. 1843. ''Histoire naturelle des animaux sans vertèbres''. Paris : J.B. Baillière Vol. 9 728 pp. 39(as Trochus elatus, misidentification cf. Hedley's notes) * Philippi, R.A. 1848. ''Trochidae. pp. 41-72'' in Küster, H.C. (ed). Systematisches Conchylien-Cabinet von Martini und Chemnitz. Nürnberg : Bauer & Raspe Vol. II. * Reeve, L.A. 1862. ''Monograph of the genus Trochus. pls 1-16'' in Reeve, L.A. (ed). Conchologia Iconica. London : L. Reeve & Co. Vol. 13. * Fischer, P. 1875. ''Genres Calcar, Trochus, Xenophora, Tectarius et Risella. pp. 1-96'' in Keiner, L.C. (ed.). Spécies general et iconographie des coquilles vivantes. Paris : J.B. Baillière Vol. 11 * Mathews, G.M. & Iredale, T. 1912. "Perry's Arcana" - an overlooked work. Victorian Naturalist 29: 7-16 * Hedley, C. 1918. ''A checklist of the marine fauna of New South Wales. Part 1''. Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales 51: M1-M120 * Habe, T. 1964. ''Shells of the Western Pacific in color''. Osaka : Hoikusha Vol. 2 233 pp., 66 pls. * MacDonald & Co (1979). ''The MacDonald Encyclopedia of Shells''. MacDonald & Co. London & Sydney * Hickman, C.S. & McLean, J.H. 1990. ''Systematic revision and suprageneric classification of trochacean gastropods.'' Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Science Series 35: i-vi, 1-169 * Springsteen, F.J. & Leobrera, F.M. 1986. ''Shells of the Philippines''. Manila : Carfel Seashell Museum 377 pp., 100 pls * Ponder, W.F. & Middelfart, P.U. 2010. OBIS 2010.

External links

*
Williams, S. T. (2012). Advances in molecular systematics of the vetigastropod superfamily Trochoidea. Zoologica Scripta. 41(6): 571-595
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rochia conus conus Gastropods described in 1791