Conus ventricosus mediterraneus is a subspecies 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.
Description The size of an adult shell varies between 13 mm and 63 mm. The color of the shell is yellowish brown, pink-brown or olivaceous; sometimes chocolate-brown, very closely nebulously spotted and reticulated; and sometimes interrupted-lined with chestnut, with a narrow, light band below the middle. The elevated spire is rudely gradate and maculated. The interior of the shell is light chocolate, with a light band.George Washington Tryon, Manual of Conchyology vol. VI, p. 66; 1879.
Distribution This subspecies occurs in the Mediterranean Sea, but not in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean off Senegal.
Synonyms
Conus adriaticus Nardo, 1847 Conus alticonica Pallary, 1904 Conus amazonicus Nardo, 1847 Conus ammiralis var. americanus Gmelin, 1791 Conus caffer Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1882 Conus caillaudi Jay, 1846 Conus chersoideus Nardo, 1847 Conus cinctus Bosc, 1801 Conus cinereus Delle Chiaje & Poli, 1826 Conus clodianus Nardo, 1847 Conus cretheus Nardo, 1847 Conus elpus De Gregorio, 1885 Conus epaphus Nardo, 1847 Conus erosus Renier, 1804 Conus franciscanus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792 Conus galloprovincialis Locard, 1886 Conus galloprovincialis var. lineolata Locard & Caziot, 1900 Conus galloprovincialis var. minor Locard & Caziot, 1900 Conus glaucescens G. B. Sowerby II, 1834 Conus grossii Maravigna, 1853 Conus guestieri Lorois, 1860 Conus hanleyi G. B. Sowerby II, 1857 Conus hanley Conus hanley Conus herillus Nardo, 1847 Conus humilis von Salis Marschlins, 1793 Conus ignobilis Olivi, 1792 Conus ignobilis var. rufa Scacchi, 1836 Conus inaequalis Reeve, 1849 Conus intermedius Lamarck, 1810 Conus istriensis Nardo, 1847 Conus jamaicensis Hwass in Bruguière, 1792 Conus jaspis von Salis Marschlins, 1793 Conus madurensis Hwass in Bruguière, 1792 Conus mediterraneus f. gaudiosus Nicolay, 1978 Conus mediterraneus var. acuta Requien, 1848 Conus mediterraneus var. alalmus DeGregorio, 1885 Conus mediterraneus var. alba Coen, 1933 Conus mediterraneus var. albina Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1882 Conus mediterraneus var. alticonica Pallary, 1904 Conus mediterraneus var. amigus DeGregorio, 1885 Conus mediterraneus var. arenaria Monterosato, 1917 Conus mediterraneus var. ater Philippi, 1836 Conus mediterraneus var. caerulescens Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1883 Conus mediterraneus var. carinata Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1884 Conus mediterraneus var. castanea Coen, 1933 Conus mediterraneus var. debilis Monterosato, 1917 Conus mediterraneus var. elongata Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1885 Conus mediterraneus var. emisus DeGregorio, 1885 Conus mediterraneus var. fasciata Requien, 1848 Conus mediterraneus var. flammulata Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1886 Conus mediterraneus var. flavescens Coen, 1933 Conus mediterraneus var. fusca Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1887 Conus mediterraneus var. interrupta Coen, 1933 Conus mediterraneus var. lutea Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1888 Conus mediterraneus var. major Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1889 Conus mediterraneus var. marmoratus Philippi, 1836 Conus mediterraneus var. minor Monterosato, 1878 Conus mediterraneus var. oblonga Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1890 Conus mediterraneus var. obtusa Requien, 1848 Conus mediterraneus var. pallida Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1891 Conus mediterraneus var. persistens Kobelt, 1906 Conus mediterraneus var. pretunculus Monterosato, 1917 Conus mediterraneus var. rubens Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1892 Conus mediterraneus var. rufatra DeGregorio, 1885 Conus mediterraneus var. scalare Dautzenberg, 1911 Conus mediterraneus var. scalaris Pallary, 1912 Conus mediterraneus var. subconcolor Requien, 1848 Conus mediterraneus var. subviridis DeGregorio, 1885 Conus mediterraneus var. vayssierei Kobelt, 1906 Conus olivaceus von Salis Marschlins, 1793 Conus olivaceus Kiener, 1845 Conus pallans Nardo, 1847 Conus phegeus Nardo, 1847 Conus postdiluvianus Risso, 1826 Conus rusticus Poli, 1826 Conus siculus DelleChiaje, 1828 Conus stercutius Nardo, 1847 Conus submediterraneus Locard, 1886 Conus thuscus Nardo, 1847 Conus trunculus Monterosato, 1899 Conus vayssierei var. ossea Monterosato, 1917 Conus ventricosus Gmelin, 1791 Conus ventricosus var. elpus DeGregorio, 1885 Conus ventricosus var. empismus DeGregorio, 1885 Lautoconus noeformis Monterosato, 1923
References
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.
External links The Conus Biodiversity website