Conus adamsonii, common name the rhododendron cone, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.
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 species was described from a specimen in the collection of John Adamson.
Description The size of the shell varies between 26.4 mm and 56 mm. The spire is depressed, channeled and striate. The body whorl is grooved above and below, smooth in the middle. The color of the shell is rosy white, with numerous small triangular chestnut spots and three bands of violaceous and chestnut clouds and reticulations.G.W. Tryon (1884) Manual of Conchology, structural and systematic, with illustrations of the species, vol. VI; Philadelphia, Academy of Natural Sciences (described as Conus rhododendron )
Distribution This marine species occurs off the Marquesas Islands.
References
Petit, R. E. (2009). George Brettingham Sowerby, I, II & III: their conchological publications and molluscan taxa. Zootaxa. 2189: 1–218 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