Conus leopardus
A venomous predatory sea snail found across the Indo-Pacific.
Last updated
Jan Delsing · via Wikipedia: Conus leopardus · Public domain
The leopard cone (Conus leopardus) is a predatory marine snail, a gastropod mollusk belonging to the family Conidae. As with all members of the genus Conus, it is both a predator and venomous. Its sting can affect humans, so live specimens should be handled with great caution, if at all.
Adult shells of this species range from 50 mm to 222 mm in length.
This marine snail is found across the Indian Ocean, including near Aldabra, Chagos, Madagascar, the Mascarene basin, Mauritius, and Tanzania. Its range also covers the entire Indo-Pacific region, as well as Australian waters off the Northern Territory, Queensland, and Western Australia.
The name Conus leopardus Dillwyn, 1817 is considered a synonym of Conus vexillum Gmelin, 1791.
Scientific classification
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumMollusca
- ClassGastropoda
- SubclassCaenogastropoda
- OrderNeogastropoda
- FamilyConidae
- GenusConus
- SpeciesConus leopardus
Named by (Röding, 1798)
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 leopardus (CC BY-SA 4.0) · order, family and genus agree with WoRMS AphiaID 215464 (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
Where the conus leopardus has been recorded
Each dot is a place where the species has been observed and reported (935 records, half-degree grid) — not a modelled range. 63 inland records left out (institution coordinates).
Map: drawn by Codexery. Data: GBIF occurrence search (records CC0 / CC BY) · Natural Earth basemap (public domain) · place coordinates: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Lore & Background
The leopard cone is a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, known for its predatory and venomous nature. The adult shell varies in size between 50 mm and 222 mm. This species occurs in the Indian Ocean off Aldabra, Chagos, Madagascar, the Mascarene basin, Mauritius, and Tanzania, as well as throughout the entire Indo-Pacific Region, including off Australia (Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia).
Conus leopardus Dillwyn, 1817 is a synonym of Conus vexillum Gmelin, 1791, indicating taxonomic uncertainty in the literature. The species has been referenced in numerous works, including those by Röding (1798), Lamarck (1822), Reeve (1843), and others, reflecting its long history in conchological study.
As with all cone snails, the leopard cone is venomous and capable of stinging humans. This characteristic necessitates caution when handling live specimens. The species is part of the broader Conidae family, which includes many other venomous marine snails.
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 leopardus (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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