species: Conus magus in Lizard Island area: all known taxa (Lizard Island Field Guide)
Conus magus


©Anne Hoggett: Conus magus at Coconut Beach reef flat, Lizard Island.

©Anne Hoggett: Conus magus at Coconut Beach reef flat, Lizard Island.

©Anne Hoggett: Conus magus as found with anterior end buried in sand at Coconut Beach reef flat, Lizard Island.
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Mollusca
Class Gastropoda
Order Neogastropoda
Family Conidae
Genus Conus
Species Conus magus

Colours

                                       

Distinguishing features

Wilson (1994) notes that this species is highly variable in colour and colour pattern, "usually white or cream, with fine interrupted spiral lines of dark brown dots and large patches of green, brown, olive-greenor orange-yellow; irregular radiating brown lines present on the spire; interior white." This is a fish-eating cone snail with a venom that is dangerous to humans.

Size

  • Up to 6 cm (Shell length)

Synonyms

Distribution


©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution

Web resources

References

References that assist with identification

  • Wilson, B.R. (1994). Australian Marine Shells: 2. Prosobranch gastropods Odyssey Publishing, Kallaroo, Western Australia.

Other references

  • Livett, B.G., D.W. Sandall, D. Keays, J. Down, K.R. Gayler, N. Satkunanathan and Z. Khalil (2006). Therapeutic applications of conotoxins that target the neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. Toxicon, 48: 810-829. LIRS catalog number 1624.