Conus vitulinus is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.[1]

Conus vitulinus
Shell of Conus vitulinus (specimen at MNHN, Paris)
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. vitulinus
Binomial name
Conus vitulinus
Hwass in Bruguière, 1792
Synonyms[1]
  • Strategoconus (Vituliconus) vitulinus (Hwass in Bruguière, 1792)
  • Vituliconus planorbis vitulinus Hwass in Bruguière, 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.

The conus vitulinus uses its venom as self-defense to predators, as well as to hunt down its prey, which consists of worms, mulluscs and fish.[2] [3] [4]

Description

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The length of the shell varies between 30 mm and 83 mm.

Distribution

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This marine species occurs in the Indo-Western Pacific.

References

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  1. ^ a b MolluscaBase eds. (2020). MolluscaBase. Conus vitulinus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: http://marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=215444 on 2020-09-14
  2. ^ Dutertre, Sébastien; Lewis, Richard J (2013). "CONE SNAIL BIOLOGY, BIOPROSPECTING AND CONSERVATION". Emil M. Hämäläinen, Sofia Järvinen. Snails: Biology, ecology and conservation, Nova Science Publishers.
  3. ^ Liu, Zhuguo; Xu, Ning; Hu, Jie; Zhao, Chongjia; Yu, Zheng; Dai, Qiuyun (1 October 2009). "Identification of novel I-superfamily conopeptides from several clades of Conus species found in the South China Sea". Peptides. 30 (10): 1782–1787. doi:10.1016/j.peptides.2009.06.036. ISSN 0196-9781. PMID 19595726.
  4. ^ . Robinson, Samuel D.; Li, Qing; Bandyopadhyayc, Pradip K.; Gajewiak, Joanna; Yandell, Mark; Papenfuss, Anthony T.; Purcell, Anthony W.; Norton, Raymond S.; Safavi-Hemami, Helena (2015). "Hormone-like peptides in the venoms of marine cone snails". Gen Comp Endocrinol. 244: 11–18. doi:10.1016/j.ygcen.2015.07.012. PMC 4762756. PMID 26301480.
  • Tucker J.K. & Tenorio M.J. (2013) Illustrated catalog of the living cone shells. 517 pp. Wellington, Florida: MdM Publishing
  • Monnier E., Limpalaër L., Robin A. & Roux C. (2018). A taxonomic iconography of living Conidae. Harxheim: ConchBooks. 2 vols. 1205 pp.
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