Africonus is a taxon of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Conidae. Although originally described as a distinct subgenus, it is currently considered as an alternative representation of the cone snail genus, Conus.
Distinguishing characteristics The Tucker & Tenorio 2009 taxonomy distinguishes Africonus from Conus in the following ways:Tucker J.K. & Tenorio M.J. (2009), Systematic Classification of Recent and Fossil Conoidean Gastropods, ConchBooks, Hankenheim, Germany, 295 pp.
Genus Conus sensu stricto Linnaeus, 1758 Shell characters (living and fossil species) The basic shell shape is conical to elongated conical, has a deep anal notch on the shoulder, a smooth periostracum and a small operculum. The shoulder of the shell is usually nodulose and the protoconch is usually multispiral. Markings often include the presence of tents except for black or white color variants, with the absence of spiral lines of minute tents and textile bars. Radular tooth (not known for fossil species) The radula has an elongated anterior section with serrations and a large exposed terminating cusp, a non-obvious waist, blade is either small or absent and has a short barb, and lacks a basal spur. Geographical distribution These species are found in the Indo-Pacific region. Feeding habits These species eat other gastropods including cones.
Subgenus Africonus Petuch, 1975 Shell characters (living and fossil species) The protoconch is paucispiral, the whorl tops may be concave when viewed in cross section, with cords on the whorl tops that may be lost in middle spire whorls or persist thereafter. The shell has a shallow to moderately deep anal notch. The periostracum is smooth and thin, and the operculum is small. Radular tooth (not known for fossil species) The anterior section of the radula is usually shorter than the posterior section but in some species they are subequal in length, the lumen of the radular tooth is wide, a basal spur is present, the barb is short, and the blade is long and extends along most of the anterior section of the radular tooth. Serrations are usually in multiple rows with one or two rows of large serrations and rows of smaller serrations on either side, although serrations can be in a single row in juveniles or small specimens. Geographical distribution These species are endemic to the Cape Verde Islands in the West African Region. Feeding habits These species are vermivorous (meaning that they prey on marine worms).
Species Prior to 2009, all species within the family Conidae were placed in one genus, Conus. In 2009 however, J.K. Tucker and M.J. Tenorio proposed a classification system for the over 600 recognized species that were in the family. Their classification proposed 3 distinct families and 82 genera for the living species of cone snails. This classification was based upon shell morphology, radular differences, anatomy, physiology, cladistics, with comparisons to molecular (DNA) studies. Published accounts of genera within the Conidae that include the genus Africonus include J.K. Tucker & M.J. Tenorio (2009), and Bouchet et al. (2011).Bouchet P., Kantor Yu.I., Sysoev A. & Puillandre N. (2011). "A new operational classification of the Conoidea". Journal of Molluscan Studies 77: 273-308.
Testing in order to try to understand the molecular phylogeny of the Conidae was initially begun by Christopher Meyer and Alan Kohn,Interview of Professor Alan Kohn, Professor Emeritus, Zoology and is continuing, particularly with the advent of nuclear DNA testing in addition to mDNA testing.
Many authorities continue to use the traditional classification, where all species are placed in Conus within the single family Conidae including the current (October 2022) version of the World Register of Marine Species. The binomial names of species in the 82 cone snail genera listed in Tucker & Tenorio 2009 are currently recognized by the World Register of Marine Species as "alternative representations".http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=14107 Classification: Traditionally, all cone shells have been included in the Linnaean genus Conus. Tucker & Tenorio (2009) have recently proposed an alternative shell- and radula-based classification that recognizes 4 families and 80 genera of cones. In WoRMS, we currently still recognize a single family Conidae (following Puillandre et al. 2011), but Tucker & Tenorio's 80 genera classification is presented as "alternative representation". [P. Bouchet, 14 Aug. 2011] Debate within the scientific community regarding this issue continues, and additional molecular phylogeny studies are being carried out in an attempt to clarify the issue.C.M.L. Afonso & M.J. Tenorio (August 2011), A new, distinct endemic Africonus species (Gastropoda, Conidae) from Sao Vicente Island, Cape Verde Archipelago, West Africa, Gloria Maris 50(5): 124-135P. Bouchet, Yu I. Kantor, A. Sysoev, and N. Puillandre (March 2011), A New Operational Classification of the Conoidea, Journal of Molluscan Studies 77:273-308, at p. 275.N. Puillandre, E. Strong, P. Bouchet, M. Boisselier, V. Couloux, & S. Samadi (2009), Identifying gastropod spawn from DNA barcodes: possible but not yet practicable, Molecular Ecology Resources 9:1311-1321.P.K. Bandyopadhyay, B.J. Stevenson, J.P. Ownby, M.T. Cady, M. Watkins, & B. Olivera (2008), The mitochondrial genome of Conus textile, coxI-conII intergenic sequences and conoidean evolution. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 46: 215-223.S.T. Williams & T.F. Duda, Jr. (2008), Did tectonic activity stimulate Oligo-Miocene speciation in the Indo-West Pacific? Evolution 62:1618-1634.R.L. Cunha, R. Castilho, L. Ruber, & R. Zardoya (2005), Patterns of cladogenesis in the venomous marine gastropod genus Conus from the Cape Verde Islands Systematic Biology 54(4):634-650.T.F. Duda, Jr. & A.J. Kohn (2005), Species-level phylogeography and evolutionary history of the hyperdiverse marine gastropod genus Conus, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 34:257-272.T.F. Duda, Jr. & E. Rolan (2005), Explosive radiation of Cape Verde Conus, a marine species flock, Molecular Ecology 14:267-272.B. Vallejo, Jr. (2005), Inferring the mode of speciation in the Indo-West Pacific Conus (Gastropoda: Conidae), Journal of Biogeography 32:1429-1439.Monteiro A., Tenorio M. J. & Poppe G. T., 2004. The Family Conidae: The West African and Mediterranean species of Conus
In 2015, in the Journal of Molluscan Studies, Puillandre, Duda, Meyer, Olivera & Bouchet presented a new classification for the old genus Conus. Using 329 species, the authors carried out molecular phylogenetic analyses. The results suggested that the authors should place all cone snails in a single family, Conidae, containing four genera: Conus, Conasprella, Profundiconus and Californiconus. The authors group 85% of all known cone snail species under Conus, They recognize 57 subgenera within Conus, and 11 subgenera within the genus Conasprella. In this description of the family Conidae, Africonus is classified as a subgenus of Conus: Conus (Lautoconus) Monterosato, 1923 (type species: Conus mediterraneus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792) represented as Conus Thiele, 1929 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
All the species formerly classified in the genus Africonus are now considered as "alternate representations" of species in the genus Conus: Africonus antoniaensis Cossignani & Fiadeiro, 2014: synonym of Conus antoniaensis (Cossignani & Fiadeiro, 2014) Africonus antoniomonteiroi (Rolán, 1990): synonym of Conus antoniomonteiroi Rolán, 1990 Africonus bellulus (Rolán, 1990): synonym of Conus bellulus Rolán, 1990 Africonus boavistensis (Rolán & F. Fernandes, 1990): synonym of Conus Rolán & F. Fernandes, 1990 Africonus borgesi (Trovão, 1979): synonym of Conus borgesi Trovão, 1979 Africonus calhetae (Rolán, 1990): synonym of Conus calhetae Rolán, 1990 Africonus crotchii (Reeve, 1849): synonym of Conus crotchii Reeve, 1849 Africonus cuneolus (Reeve, 1843): synonym of Conus cuneolus Reeve, 1843 Africonus curralensis (Rolán, 1986): synonym of Conus curralensis Rolán, 1986 Africonus damottai (Trovão, 1979): synonym of Conus damottai Trovão, 1979 Africonus decoratus (Röckel, Rolán & Monteiro, 1980): synonym of Conus decoratus Röckel, Rolán & Monteiro, 1980 Africonus delanoyae (Trovão, 1979): synonym of Conus delanoyae Trovão, 1979 Africonus denizi Afonso & Tenorio, 2011: synonym of Conus denizi (Afonso & Tenorio, 2011) Africonus espingueirensis T. Cossignani & Fiadeiro, 2017: synonym of Conus docensis (Cossignani & Fiadeiro, 2017) Africonus felitae (Rolán, 1990): synonym of Conus felitae Rolán, 1990 Africonus fernandesi (Tenorio, Afonso & Rolán, 2008): synonym of Conus fernandesi Tenorio, Afonso & Rolán, 2008 Africonus freitasi Tenorio, et al., 2018: synonym of Conus freitasi (Tenorio, et al., 2018) Africonus furnae (Rolán, 1990): synonym of Conus furnae Rolán, 1990 Africonus fuscoflavus (Röckel, Rolán & Monteiro, 1980): synonym of Conus fuscoflavus Röckel, Rolán & Monteiro, 1980 Africonus galeao (Rolán, 1990): synonym of Conus galeao Rolán, 1990 Africonus gonsaloi Afonso & Tenorio, 2014: synonym of Conus gonsaloi (Afonso & Tenorio, 2014) Africonus grahami (Röckel, Cosel & Burnay, 1980): synonym of Conus grahami Röckel, Cosel & Burnay, 1980 Africonus infinitus (Rolán, 1990): synonym of Conus infinitus Rolán, 1990 Africonus insulae Tenorio, et al., 2018: synonym of Conus insulae (Tenorio, et al., 2018) Africonus isabelarum (Tenorio & Afonso, 2004): synonym of Conus isabelarum Tenorio & Afonso, 2004 Africonus josephinae (Rolán, 1980): synonym of Conus josephinae Rolán, 1980 Africonus kersteni (Tenorio, Afonso & Rolán, 2008): synonym of Conus kersteni Tenorio, Afonso & Rolán, 2008 Africonus longilineus (Röckel, Rolán & Monteiro, 1980): synonym of Conus longilineus Röckel, Rolán & Monteiro, 1980 Africonus lugubris (Reeve, 1849): synonym of Conus lugubris Reeve, 1849 Africonus maioensis (Trovão, Rolán & Félix-Alves, 1990): synonym of Conus maioensis Trovão, Rolán & Félix-Alves, 1990 Africonus miruchae (Röckel, Rolán & Monteiro, 1980): synonym of Conus miruchae Röckel, Rolán & Monteiro, 1980 Africonus navarroi (Rolán, 1986): synonym of Conus navarroi Rolán, 1986 Africonus perrineae T. Cossignani & Fiadeiro, 2018: synonym of Conus perrineae (T. Cossignani & Fiadeiro, 2018) Africonus raulsilvai (Rolán, Monteiro & Fernandes, 1998): synonym of Conus raulsilvai Rolán, Monteiro & Fernandes, 1998 Africonus regonae (Rolán & Trovão, 1990): synonym of Conus regonae Rolán & Trovão, 1990 Africonus roeckeli (Rolán, 1980): synonym of Conus roeckeli Rolán, 1980 Africonus salletae Cossignani, 2014: synonym of Conus salletae (Cossignani, 2014) Africonus santaluziensis T. Cossignani & Fiadeiro, 2015: synonym of Conus santaluziensis (T. Cossignani & Fiadeiro, 2015) Africonus santanaensis Afonso & Tenorio, 2014: synonym of Conus santanaensis (Afonso & Tenorio, 2014) Africonus saragasae (Rolán, 1986): synonym of Conus saragasae Rolán, 1986 Africonus verdensis (Trovão, 1979): synonym of Conus verdensis Trovão, 1979 Africonus vulcanus (Tenorio & Afonso, 2004): synonym of Conus vulcanus Tenorio & Afonso, 2004
Species brought into synonymy The following species were synonymized: Africonus angeluquei Tenorio, Abalde & Zardoya, 2018 accepted as Africonus perrineae T. Cossignani & Fiadeiro, 2018 Africonus anthonyi Petuch, 1975 accepted as Africonus cuneolus (Reeve, 1843) Africonus antonioi T. Cossignani, 2014 accepted as Africonus crotchii (Reeve, 1849) Africonus barrosensis T. Cossignani & Fiadeiro, 2017 accepted as Africonus boavistensis (Rolán & F. Fernandes, 1990) Africonus bernardinoi T. Cossignani, 2014 accepted as Africonus cuneolus (Reeve, 1843)