Conasprella elokismenos is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, commonly known as cone snails.Bouchet, P. (2015). Conasprella elokismenos (Kilburn, 1975). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=835369 on 2015-03-10
Like all species within the genus Conasprella, these snails are predatory and venomous. These snails are known for their cone shaped shells and their venomous sting used to capture prey.
Description The size of an adult shell varies between 45 mm and 68 mm. They have a sleek, elongated, and conical shape, like other members of the Conasprella genus. The shell is smooth and glossy, featuring intricate patterns and banding, which can vary in colour. Many cone snails have shades of white, cream, brown, or orange with darker markings which gives them a striking appearance.
These snails have a tube-like struncture that they use to detect prey, and like other cone snails, they have a venomous harpoon-like radula for hunting small marine creatures. Distribution This marine species occurs in the Indo-Pacific off Madagascar and KwaZuluNatal, South Africa; also in the Bismarck Sea off Papua New Guinea. They are found in tropical and subtropical marine environments. They tend to inhabit sandy or rocky areas, at depths ranging from shallow waters to the deeper ocean zones.
References
Röckel, D., Korn, W. & Kohn, A.J., 1995. Manual of the living Conidae. Volume 1: Indo-Pacific region. Hemmen: 517 pp Röckel, D., Richard, G. & Moolenbeek, R., 1995. Deep-water Cones (Gastropoda: Conidae) from the New Caledonia region. Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle 167: 557–594 Filmer R.M. (2001). A Catalogue of Nomenclature and Taxonomy in the Living Conidae 1758–1998. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden. 388pp. Tucker J.K. (2009). Recent cone species database. September 4, 2009 Edition Puillandre N., Meyer C.P., Bouchet P. & Olivera B.M. (2011) Genetic divergence and geographic variation in the deep-water Conus orbignyi complex (Mollusca: Conoidea). Zoologica Scripta 40(4): 350–363. 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
Holotype in the MNHN, Paris