Conus (Darioconus)

Darioconus is a subgenus of sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the genus Conus, family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.

In the new classification of the family Conidae by Puillandre N., Duda T.F., Meyer C., Olivera B.M. & Bouchet P. (2015), Darioconus has become a subgenus of Conus: Conus (Darioconus) Tucker & Tenorio, 2013 represented as Conus Thiele, 1929 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

Distinguishing characteristics The Tucker & Tenorio 2009 taxonomy distinguishes Darioconus from Conus in the following ways:Tucker J.K. & Tenorio M.J. (2009), Systematic Classification of Recent and Fossil Conoidean Gastropods, ConchBooks, Hankenheim, Germany, 295 pp.

Genus Conus Linnaeus, 1758 Shell characters (living and fossil species) The basic shell shape is conical to elongated conical, has a deep anal notch on the shoulder, a smooth periostracum and a small operculum. The shoulder of the shell is usually nodulose and the protoconch is usually multispiral. Markings often include the presence of tents except for black or white color variants, with the absence of spiral lines of minute tents and textile bars. Radular tooth (not known for fossil species) The radula has an elongated anterior section with serrations and a large exposed terminating cusp, a non-obvious waist, blade is either small or absent and has a short barb, and lacks a basal spur. Geographical distribution These species are found in the Indo-Pacific region. Feeding habits These species eat other gastropods including cones.

Subgenus Darioconus Iredale, 1930 Shell characters (living and fossil species) The shell is ovate in shape. The protoconch can be paucispiral or multispiral, poorly developed nodules die out in the early postnuclear whorls, and the sides of the body whole are convex. The anal notch is moderate to shallow. The shell does not have textile bars, but is ornamented with spiral lines of minute tents. The periostracum is smooth, and the operculum is small. Radular tooth (not known for fossil species) The anterior section of the radula is substantially more elongated than the posterior section. The waist is not obvious. A basal spur is absent, and the blade and barb is short. A terminating cusp is present. Geographical distribution These species are found in the Indo-Pacific region. Feeding habits These species are molluscivorous (meaning that they prey on other mollusks).

Species list This list of species is based on the information in the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) list. Species within the genus Darioconus include: Darioconus leviteni Tucker, Tenorio & Chaney, 2011Tucker J.K., Tenorio M.J. & Chaney H.W. (2011) A revision of the status of several conoid taxa from the Hawaiian Islands: Description of Darioconus levieni n. sp., Pionoconus striatus oahuensis n. ssp. and Harmoniconus paukstisi n. sp. (Gastropoda, Conidae). In: Severns M., Shells of the Hawaiian Islands - The Sea Shells: 501-514. Darioconus aulicus (Linnaeus, 1758): synonym of Conus aulicus Linnaeus, 1758 Darioconus auratinus (da Motta, 1982): synonym of Conus auratinus da Motta, 1982 Darioconus auricomus (Hwass in Bruguière, 1792): synonym of Conus auricomus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792 Darioconus behelokensis (Lauer, 1989): synonym of Conus behelokensis Lauer, 1989 Darioconus bengalensis Okutani, 1968: synonym of Conus bengalensis (Okutani, 1968) Darioconus crocatus (Lamarck, 1810): synonym of Conus crocatus Lamarck, 1810 Darioconus echo (Lauer, 1988): synonym of Conus pennaceus echo Lauer, 1988 Darioconus episcopatus (da Motta, 1982): synonym of Conus episcopatus Da Motta, 1982 Darioconus fortdauphinensis Bozzetti, 2015: synonym of Conus fortdauphinensis (Bozzetti, 2015) Darioconus lamberti (Souverbie, 1877): synonym of Conus lamberti Souverbie, 1877 Darioconus laueri Monnier & Limpalaër, 2013: synonym of Conus (Darioconus) laueri (Monnier & Limpalaër, 2013) represented as Conus laueri (Monnier & Limpalaër, 2013) Darioconus leviteni Tucker, Tenorio & Chaney, 2011: synonym of Conus (Darioconus) leviteni (Tucker, Tenorio & Chaney, 2011) represented as Conus leviteni (Tucker, Tenorio & Chaney, 2011) Darioconus lohri (Kilburn, 1972): synonym of Conus lohri Kilburn, 1972 Darioconus madagascariensis (G.B. Sowerby II, 1858): synonym of Conus madagascariensis G. B. Sowerby II, 1858 Darioconus magnificus (Reeve, 1843): synonym of Conus magnificus Reeve, 1843 Darioconus natalaurantius S. G. Veldsman, 2013: synonym of Conus (Darioconus) natalaurantius (S. G. Veldsman, 2013) represented as Conus natalaurantius (S. G. Veldsman, 2013) Darioconus omaria (Hwass in Bruguière, 1792): synonym of Conus (Darioconus) omaria Hwass in Bruguière, 1792 represented as Conus omaria Hwass in Bruguière, 1792 Darioconus pennaceus (Born, 1778): synonym of Conus pennaceus Born, 1778 Darioconus textilis: synonym of Conus textile Linnaeus, 1758 Darioconus thomae Gmelin, 1791:synonym of Conus (Darioconus) thomae Gmelin, 1791, represented as Conus thomae Gmelin, 1791

References

Further reading Kohn A. A. (1992). "Chronological Taxonomy of Conus, 1758-1840". Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington and London. Monteiro A. (ed.) (2007). The Cone Collector 1: 1-28. Berschauer D. (2010). Technology and the Fall of the Mono-Generic Family The Cone Collector 15: pp. 51-54 Puillandre N., Meyer C.P., Bouchet P., and Olivera B.M. (2011), Genetic divergence and geographical variation in the deep-water Conus orbignyi complex (Mollusca: Conoidea), Zoologica Scripta 40(4) 350-363.

External links To World Register of Marine Species Gastropods.com: Conidae setting forth the genera recognized therein.