Conus ventricosus
Conus ventricosus, common name the Mediterranean cone, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.Conus ventricosus mediterraneus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792, is a recognized subspecies.
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.
Description
The size of the shell varies between 13 mm and 63 mm. The shell is yellowish brown, pink-brown or olivaceous. It is sometimes chocolate-brown, very closely nebulously spotted and reticulated. And sometimes it is interrupted-lined with chestnut, with a narrow, light band below the middle. The spire is elevated, rudely gradate and maculated. The interior of the aperture is light chocolate, with a light band.The peptide Contryphan-Vn was extracted from the venom of this marine snail. It is part of a complex mixture of poisonous compounds secreted by this cone snailand used in worm hunting.
Distribution
This marine species has a wide distribution found in shallow waters ranging in the Mediterranean Sea.It was also found as a fossil from the Pliocene and the Miocene.
List of synonyms
Conus ventricosus Gmelin, 1791 · accepted, alternate representationConus adansonii Lamarck, 1810Conus adriaticus Nardo, 1847Conus amazonicus Nardo, 1847Conus caillaudi Jay, 1846Conus chersoideus Nardo, 1847Conus cinctus Bosc, 1801Conus clodianus Nardo, 1847Conus cretheus Nardo, 1847Conus epaphus Nardo, 1847Conus epaticus Renier, 1804 Conus errosus Renier, 1804 Conus fortis Renier, 1804 Conus franciscanus Bruguière, 1792Conus galloprovincialis Locard, 1886Conus galloprovincialis var. lineolata Locard & Caziot, 1900 Conus galloprovincialis var. minor Locard & Caziot, 1900 Conus galloprovincialis var. producta Coen, 1933Conus galloprovincialis var. turrita Coen, 1933Conus glaucescens G. B. Sowerby I, 1834Conus grossii Maravigna, 1853 Conus guestieri Lorois, 1860Conus hanleyi G. B. Sowerby II, 1857 Conus herillus Nardo, 1847Conus humilis von Salis Marschlins, 1793Conus ignobilis Olivi, 1792 Conus ignobilis var. rufa Scacchi, 1836Conus inaequalis Reeve, 1849Conus intermedius Lamarck, 1810 - fossilConus istriensis Nardo, 1847Conus jamaicensis Hwass in Bruguière, 1792Conus jaspis Salis Marschlins, 1793 Conus listeri Renier, 1804 Conus madurensis Hwass in Bruguière, 1792Conus mediterraneus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792Conus mediterraneus f. gaudiosus Nicolay, 1978 Conus mediterraneus var. acuta Requien, 1848Conus mediterraneus var. alalmus de Gregorio, 1885Conus mediterraneus var. alba Coen, 1933 Conus mediterraneus var. albina Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1882Conus mediterraneus var. alticonica Pallary, 1904 Conus mediterraneus var. amigus de Gregorio, 1885Conus mediterraneus var. arenaria Monterosato, 1917Conus mediterraneus var. ater Philippi, 1836Conus mediterraneus var. atra Philippi, 1844 Conus mediterraneus var. caerulescens Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1883Conus mediterraneus var. carinata Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1884 Conus mediterraneus var. castanea Coen, 1933Conus mediterraneus var. debilis Monterosato, 1917Conus mediterraneus var. elongata Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1885Conus mediterraneus var. emisus de Gregorio, 1885Conus mediterraneus var. fasciata Requien, 1848 Conus mediterraneus var. flammulata Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1882Conus mediterraneus var. flavescens Coen, 1933 Conus mediterraneus var. fusca Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1882Conus mediterraneus var. interrupta Coen, 1933 Conus mediterraneus var. lutea Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1882 Conus mediterraneus var. major Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1882Conus mediterraneus var. marmoratus Philippi, 1836 Conus mediterraneus var. minor Monterosato, 1878Conus mediterraneus var. oblonga Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1882Conus mediterraneus var. obtusa Requien, 1848Conus mediterraneus var. pallida Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1882Conus mediterraneus var. persistens Kobelt, 1906Conus mediterraneus var. pretunculus Monterosato, 1917Conus mediterraneus var. rubens Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1882Conus mediterraneus var. rufatra de Gregorio, 1885Conus mediterraneus var. scalare Dautzenberg, 1911 Conus mediterraneus var. scalaris Pallary, 1912 Conus mediterraneus var. subconcolor Requien, 1848Conus mediterraneus var. subviridis de Gregorio, 1885Conus olivaceus Salis Marschlins, 1793 Conus olivaceus Kiener, 1850 Conus pallans Nardo, 1847Conus phegeus Nardo, 1847Conus postdiluvianus Risso, 1826Conus rusticus Poli, 1826 Conus siculus Delle Chiaje, 1828Conus stercutius Nardo, 1847Conus submediterraneus Locard, 1886 Conus thuscus Nardo, 1847Conus trunculus Monterosato, 1899Conus vayssierei var. ossea Monterosato, 1917Conus ventricosus mediterraneus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792Conus ventricosus var. elpus de Gregorio, 1885Conus ventricosus var. empismus de Gregorio, 1885Conus ventricosus var. pereirae de Gregorio, 1885Conus zealandicus Hutton, 1873Cucullus annulas Noodt, 1819Cucullus glaucus Röding, 1798Lautoconus mediterraneus Lautoconus mediterraneus var. noeformis Monterosato, 1923- ''Lautoconus ventricosus''