Conus (Leptoconus)

Conus (Leptoconus) is a subgenus of predatory sea snails, specifically marine gastropod mollusks belonging to the genus Conus within the family Conidae, which includes cone snails and their relatives. Under the most recent classification of the family Conidae, Leptoconus is treated as a subgenus of Conus, designated as Conus (Leptoconus) Swainson, 1840, with the type species being Conus amadis Gmelin, 1791, and is represented as part of the broader genus Conus Linnaeus, 1758.

Members of this subgenus are found in the Indo-Pacific region. They are molluscivorous, meaning they prey on other mollusks, including other cone snails. The shell is turbinate to elongated conical in shape, with a spire that is either concave or straight and turriculated in profile.

The protoconch consists of 1.5 whorls. Nodules may ornament the shell, either persisting or fading early. The anal notch is deep, and the color pattern features spiral rows of minute tents, though textile bars are absent. The periostracum is smooth, and the operculum is small.

In the radular tooth, the anterior section is significantly longer than the posterior section. A basal spur is usually absent, and both the barb and blade are short. The waist is not obvious, and the tooth has serrations and a terminating cusp.

Species formerly placed in Leptoconus include Conus amadis, Conus ammiralis, Conus biraghii, Conus dusaveli, Conus hamanni, Conus kawamurai, Conus locumtenens, Conus mappa, and Conus milneedwardsi, among others. Some names, such as Leptoconus abbotti, are now considered synonyms of other species, like Conus jucundus.