Conus ochroleucus
A venomous marine snail with a yellowish-brown shell and a median lighter band.
Last updated
Jan Delsing · via Wikipedia: Conus ochroleucus · Public domain
The prefect cone, Conus ochroleucus, is a marine gastropod mollusk belonging to the cone snail family, Conidae. As with other members of the genus Conus, it is a venomous predator whose sting can harm humans; live specimens should be handled with great caution or avoided entirely.
Two subspecies are recognized: Conus ochroleucus ochroleucus and Conus ochroleucus tmetus (which also goes by the synonyms Asprella ochroleuca tmetus, Conus pilkeyi, Conus sulciferus, and Phasmoconus pilkeyi).
Adult shells range from 40 to 88 millimeters in length. The shell is long and narrow, with shallow grooves near the base.
Its color is yellowish brown with varied shading and a faint, lighter median band. The aperture is white and slightly wider toward the front. The spire is striate, pointed, and marked with yellowish brown and white patches.
This species is found in the Pacific Ocean near Taiwan, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and Fiji, as well as in the Indian Ocean off the coast of India.
Scientific classification
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumMollusca
- ClassGastropoda
- SubclassCaenogastropoda
- OrderNeogastropoda
- FamilyConidae
- GenusConus
- SpeciesConus ochroleucus
Named by Gmelin, 1791
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 ochroleucus (CC BY-SA 4.0) · order, family and genus agree with WoRMS AphiaID 428224 (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, 0.09 m, next to a 1.8 m person.
Diagram: drawn by Codexery, schematic shapes to scale (not a likeness). Length: Wikipedia: Conus ochroleucus
Where the conus ochroleucus has been recorded
Each dot is a place where the species has been observed and reported (116 records, half-degree grid) — not a modelled range. 16 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 shell of Conus ochroleucus is long and narrow, distantly grooved toward the base, and colored yellowish brown with various shading and a rather indistinct median lighter band. The white aperture is somewhat wider anteriorly, and the striate, acuminate spire is maculated with yellowish brown and white.
Adult shell size varies between 40mm and 88mm. Two subspecies are recognized: Conus ochroleucus ochroleucus and Conus ochroleucus tmetus, the latter having synonyms including Asprella ochroleuca tmetus, Conus pilkeyi, Conus sulciferus, and Phasmoconus pilkeyi. This species is found in the Pacific Ocean off Taiwan, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and Fiji, as well as in the Indian Ocean off India.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Conus ochroleucus?
Conus ochroleucus is a venomous marine cone snail in the family Conidae, recognized by its elongated, narrow shell in yellowish-brown tones with a paler band running along the center. Mature individuals measure roughly 40 to 88 millimeters in length.
How many subspecies of Conus ochroleucus are recognized?
Two subspecies are currently acknowledged: Conus ochroleucus ochroleucus (Gmelin, 1791) and Conus ochroleucus tmetus (Tomlin, 1937). The tmetus form has also circulated in older literature under synonyms such as Conus pilkeyi and Conus sulciferus.
What distinguishes the shell of Conus ochroleucus from other cone snails?
Its shell is notably long and slender compared to many other Conus species, with a consistent yellowish-brown ground color and a single lighter median band. The overall size of 40 to 88 mm places it in the mid-range for the genus.
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 ochroleucus (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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