Conus gubernator

Conus gubernator, common name the governor cone, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.

Conus gubernator
Apertural and abapertural views of shell of Conus gubernator Hwass in Bruguière, J.G., 1792
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Neogastropoda
Superfamily:	Conoidea
Family:	Conidae
Genus:	Conus
Species:	C. gubernator
Binomial name
Conus gubernator Hwass in Bruguière, 1792
Synonyms
Conus (Pionoconus) gubernator Hwass in Bruguière, 1792 · accepted, alternate representation Conus boivini Kiener, 1845 Conus leehmani da Motta & Röckel, 1979 Conus sutoreanus da Motta & Röckel, 1979 Conus sutorianus Weinkauff, 1874 Conus terminus Lamarck, 1822 Conus veillardi da Motta, 1990 Pionoconus gubernator (Hwass in Bruguière, 1792)

Conus gubernator Hwass in Bruguière, J.G., 1792

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 50 mm and 106 mm. The whorls of the spire are carinate, channeled and striate. They are tessellated with chestnut. The body whorl is pink-white, longitudinally clouded with chestnut or chocolate, often obscurely two-banded. There are several distant sulci towards the base.

Distribution

This marine species occurs in the Western Indian Ocean off Madagascar, Tanzania, Mauritius, Chagos and the Mascarene Basin.

Gallery

Below are several color forms:

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  Conus gubernator Hwass in Bruguière, J.G., 1792
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  Conus gubernator Hwass in Bruguière, J.G., 1792
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  Conus gubernator Hwass in Bruguière, J.G., 1792
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  Conus gubernator Hwass in Bruguière, J.G., 1792
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  Conus gubernator Hwass in Bruguière, J.G., 1792
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  Conus gubernator Hwass in Bruguière, J.G., 1792
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  Conus gubernator Hwass in Bruguière, J.G., 1792
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  Conus gubernator Hwass in Bruguière, J.G., 1792
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  Conus gubernator Hwass in Bruguière, J.G., 1792
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  Conus gubernator Hwass in Bruguière, J.G., 1792

References

• Kiener L.C. 1844–1850. Spécies général et iconographie des coquilles vivantes. Vol. 2. Famille des Enroulées. Genre Cone (Conus, Lam.), pp. 1–379, pl. 1–111 [pp. 1–48 (1846); 49–160 (1847); 161–192 (1848); 193–240 (1849); 241–[379](assumed to be 1850); plates 4,6 (1844); 2–3, 5, 7–32, 34–36, 38, 40–50 (1845); 33, 37, 39, 51–52, 54–56, 57–68, 74–77 (1846); 1, 69–73, 78–103 (1847); 104–106 (1848); 107 (1849); 108–111 (1850)]. Paris, Rousseau & J.B. Baillière
• Puillandre N., Duda T.F., Meyer C., Olivera B.M. & Bouchet P. (2015). One, four or 100 genera? A new classification of the cone snails. Journal of Molluscan Studies. 81: 1–23

External links

• The Conus Biodiversity website
• Cone Shells – Knights of the Sea
• "Pionoconus gubernator". Gastropods.com. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
• Holotype at MNHN, Paris