Conus augur
A venomous marine snail with a creamy white shell marked by brown bands.
Last updated
Jan Delsing · via Wikipedia: Conus augur · Public domain
The auger cone (Conus augur) is a marine snail, a predatory and venomous gastropod mollusk belonging to the family Conidae. Like all members of its genus, it can sting humans, so live specimens should be handled with care—or not at all.
Adult shells range from 45 to 76 mm in length. The creamy white shell is marked with tight rows of tiny chestnut dots and two irregular brown bands—one above and one below the middle of the body whorl. The spire is spotted with brown.
This species is found in the Indian Ocean, particularly around the Aldabra Atoll and off the coast of Madagascar, as well as in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.
Scientific classification
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumMollusca
- ClassGastropoda
- SubclassCaenogastropoda
- OrderNeogastropoda
- FamilyConidae
- GenusConus
- SpeciesConus augur
Named by sensu Lightfoot, 1786
Close relatives
Other species of Conus with a Codexery entry.
- Conus abbas Conus abbas
- Conus abrolhosensis Conus abrolhosensis
- Conus achatinus Conus achatinus
- Conus acutangulus Conus acutangulus
- Conus aito Conus aito
- Conus ammiralis Conus ammiralis
- Conus anabathrum Conus anabathrum
- Conus anemone Conus anemone
Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Conus augur (CC BY-SA 4.0) · order, family and genus agree with WoRMS AphiaID 428935 (CC BY 4.0)
Conservation status
Least Concern (LC)
- LC▲ this species
- NT
- VU
- EN
- CR
- EW
- EX
Source: IUCN Red List assessment · GBIF copy of the Red List category
How big is it?
Largest length in the source, 0.08 m, next to a 1.8 m person.
Diagram: drawn by Codexery, schematic shapes to scale (not a likeness). Length: Wikipedia: Conus augur
Where the conus augur has been recorded
Each dot is a place where the species has been observed and reported (187 records, half-degree grid) — not a modelled range. 15 inland records left out (institution coordinates).
Map: drawn by Codexery. Data: GBIF occurrence search (records CC0 / CC BY) · Natural Earth basemap (public domain)
Lore & Background
The auger cone is distinguished by its creamy white shell, which is encircled by close rows of very small chestnut dots. Two bands of irregular brown markings appear—one above and the other below the middle of the body whorl—and the spire is maculated with brown.
Adult shells range in size from 45 mm to 76 mm. This marine species occurs in the Indian Ocean, particularly along the Aldabra Atoll and off the coast of Madagascar, as well as in the Southwest Pacific Ocean. Like all cone snails, Conus augur is predatory and venomous, and its sting can affect humans, so live specimens require careful handling or avoidance.
More in Cone Snails
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Conus augur (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Classification: the source article's taxobox; order, family and genus checked against WoRMS, the World Register of Marine Species (CC BY 4.0).
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List assessment.
- Occurrence records: GBIF (CC0 / CC BY). Basemap: Natural Earth (public domain).
- Word definitions: the Codexery glossary, each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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