Kingdom Animalia Class Gastropoda Clade Hypsogastropoda Scientific name Conus tessulatus | Phylum Mollusca Clade Caenogastropoda Clade Neogastropoda Rank Species | |
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Similar Conus virgo, Conus eburneus, Conus striatus, Conus arenatus, Conus quercinus | ||
Conus tessulatus eating worm
Conus tessulatus, common name the tessellated cone, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.
Contents
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.
Conus tessulatus ingests worm
Description
The size of the shell varies between 22 mm and 82 mm. The top is rather flat with a rather pointed spire and rounded shoulders. The ground color of the shell is white, covered with bands red, chestnut or orange squares and rectangles. The base of the shell is sometimes tinged with violet.
Distribution
Conus tessulatus has perhaps the largest range of any known species of Cone snail. Its habitat ranges from the east coast of Africa across the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean to the west coast of Central America from Western Mexico to Costa Rica; also off Australia (Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia)