Conus augur, common name the auger cone, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails, cone shells or cones.[3]

Conus augur
Apertural view of a shell of Conus augur
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Neogastropoda
Superfamily: Conoidea
Family: Conidae
Genus: Conus
Species:
C. augur
Binomial name
Conus augur
sensu Lightfoot, 1786 [2]
Synonyms[3]
  • Conus (Strategoconus) augur sensu Lightfoot, 1786 accepted, alternate representation
  • Conus augur Hwass in Bruguiere, 1792
  • Conus punctatus Gmelin, 1791
  • Conus magus Röding, 1798
  • Conus punctatus Gmelin, 1791
  • Cucullus magus Röding, 1798 (junior secondary homonym of Conus magus Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Cucullus pulverulentus Röding, 1798
  • Vituliconus augur (Lightfoot, J., 1786)

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

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The size of an adult shell varies between 45 mm and 76 mm. The creamy white shell is encircled by close rows of very small chestnut dots, with two bands of irregular brown markings, one above, the other below the middle of the body whorl. The spire is maculated with brown.[4]

Distribution

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This marine species occurs in the Indian Ocean along the Aldabra Atoll and Madagascar; and in the Southwest Pacific Ocean.

References

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  1. ^ Veldsman, S.G. (2013). "Conus augur". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013: e.T192794A2162628. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T192794A2162628.en. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  2. ^ Lightfoot, J., 1786. A Catalogue of the Portland Museum, Lately the Property of the Duchess Dowager of Portland, Deceased; Which will be sold by Auction.
  3. ^ a b Conus augur sensu Lightfoot, 1786. Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 12 July 2011.
  4. ^ George Washington Tryon, Manual of Conchology, vol. VI, p. 51; 1879
  1. Franklin, J.B, K. A. Subramanian, S. A. Fernando and Krishnan K. S. (2009). Diversity and distribution of cone snails (Vallapoo) along the Tamilnadu coast, India, Zootaxa 2250: 1–63 (Monograph).
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