Conus ebraeus
Encyclopedia
Conus ebraeus, common name
the black-and-white cone, is a species of sea snail
, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family
Conidae, the cone snails
and their allies.
, with a rounded, short spire
.
The shell is white, with a pattern of blackish squares, sometimes rose-tinted, with three or four revolving bands composed of irregular longitudinal dark chocolate or nearly black markings; these markings also ornament the slightly coronated spire. The aperture
is white with clouded bands corresponding with the exterior markings. The surface is more or less striate throughout, but striae are more prominent towards the dark stained base.
The width of the shell of type specimen is 19 mm. The height of the shell of type specimen is 28 mm.
The height of the shell varies from 25 mm to 62 mm.
The type locality is India.
Localities include:
While the focal prey of Conus ebraeus are eunicid polychaetes (i.e., members of the genus Palola) at most locations in the Indo-West Pacific (e.g., the Maldives, eastern Indian Ocean, Great Barrier Reef, Okinawa and Guam), at Hawaii and the Seychelles this species predominantly preys on nereid polychaetes. These results suggest that Conus ebraeus exhibits geographic variation in dietary specialization.
Prey of Conus ebraeus include Perinereis helleri (family Nereididae
), Palola sp., Eunice cariboea and Lysidice collaris (all three from family Eunicidae
).
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
the black-and-white cone, is a species of sea snail
Sea snail
Sea snail is a common name for those snails that normally live in saltwater, marine gastropod molluscs....
, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Conidae, the cone snails
Conus
Conus is a large genus of small to large predatory sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs, with the common names of cone snails, cone shells or cones. This genus is placed in the subfamily Coninae within the family Conidae. Geologically speaking, the genus is known from the Eocene to the Recent ...
and their allies.
Description
Conus ebraeus has easily recognisable small, squat shellGastropod shell
The gastropod shell is a shell which is part of the body of a gastropod or snail, one kind of mollusc. The gastropod shell is an external skeleton or exoskeleton, which serves not only for muscle attachment, but also for protection from predators and from mechanical damage...
, with a rounded, short spire
Spire (mollusc)
A spire is a descriptive term for part of the coiled shell of mollusks. The word is a convenient aid in describing shells, but it does not refer to a very precise part of shell anatomy: the spire consists of all of the whorls except for the body whorl...
.
The shell is white, with a pattern of blackish squares, sometimes rose-tinted, with three or four revolving bands composed of irregular longitudinal dark chocolate or nearly black markings; these markings also ornament the slightly coronated spire. The aperture
Aperture (mollusc)
The aperture is an opening in certain kinds of mollusc shells: it is the main opening of the shell, where part of the body of the animal emerges for locomotion, feeding, etc....
is white with clouded bands corresponding with the exterior markings. The surface is more or less striate throughout, but striae are more prominent towards the dark stained base.
The width of the shell of type specimen is 19 mm. The height of the shell of type specimen is 28 mm.
The height of the shell varies from 25 mm to 62 mm.
Distribution
Conus ebraeus is one of the most widely distributed members of its genus and occurs in shallow water, tropical regions throughout the Indo-West and eastern Pacific, from the Red Sea to the shores of the Americas.The type locality is India.
Localities include:
- Aldabra
- Chagos
- Guam
- Hawaii
- Houtman Abrolhos
- Kenya
- Madagascar
- Mascarene Basin
- Mozambique
- Okinawa
- Red Sea
- Tanzania
- West Coast of South Africa
Feeding habits
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.While the focal prey of Conus ebraeus are eunicid polychaetes (i.e., members of the genus Palola) at most locations in the Indo-West Pacific (e.g., the Maldives, eastern Indian Ocean, Great Barrier Reef, Okinawa and Guam), at Hawaii and the Seychelles this species predominantly preys on nereid polychaetes. These results suggest that Conus ebraeus exhibits geographic variation in dietary specialization.
Prey of Conus ebraeus include Perinereis helleri (family Nereididae
Nereididae
Nereididae are a family of polychaete worms. It contains about 500 – mostly marine – species grouped into 42 genera. They may be commonly called ragworms or clam worms.-Characteristics:...
), Palola sp., Eunice cariboea and Lysidice collaris (all three from family Eunicidae
Eunicidae
Eunicidae is a family of polychaetes. Many eunicids reach a considerable size. Their jaws are known from Ordovician sediments. They live throughout the seas; a few species are parasitic....
).