Kingdom Animalia Class Gastropoda Superfamily Trochoidea Scientific name Tectus conus | Phylum Mollusca Clade Vetigastropoda Family Tegulidae Rank Species | |
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Similar Tectus fenestratus, Tectus pyramis, Trochus maculatus, Trochidae, Tectus niloticus | ||
Tectus conus, common name the cone top shell, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Tegulidae.
Contents
Tectus conus in riproduzione
Description
The height of the shell varies between 45 mm and 70 mm, its diameter between 45 mm and 60 mm. The solid, thick shell has a conic-pyramidal shape. Its, axis is imperforate but appears sub-umbilicate. It is white, longitudinally flammulated with bright red. The spire is conic. The apex is acute. The 10 whorls are spirally encircled by numerous (about 10 on upper surface) beaded lirae, which are separated by superficial interstices. Above the sutures there is a series of short folds or knobs which usually become obsolescent upon the periphery of the body whorl. The body whorl is obtuse at the periphery, nearly flat below, indented around the false umbilicus, obsoletely concentrically lirate, the lirae about 9 in number, red and white articulated, interstices white. The aperture is transversely rhomboidal, somewhat rounded. The columella is nearly vertically descending, subdentate at base, above with a profoundly entering spiral fold. The parietal wall bears a heavy transparent callus, which is excavated around the axis.
Distribution
This marine species occurs in the Red Sea, off the Philippines, Indo-Mamaysia, off Vietnam, New Caledonia and New South Wales, Australia.