Extending The Range Of Conus pseudoaurantius & C. aurantius

Author : David Touitou, 2007

 

Conus pseudoaurantius Vink & Cosel 1985, is usually found in the "Grenadines" (West indies).

I personnally collected live specimens of Conus pseudoaurantius when I traveled to the "Grenadines", down in the Tobago Keys. Habitat is hard reef, on sand and coral substrata. Animal is bright red colored. They could look like small Conus aurantius but really seem to be a valid specie. Both specimens shown here wereself-collected in the Tobago Keys recently (2000-2002). The specie seems to be uncomon there.

 

       
C. pseudoaurantius 21.8 mm, Tobago Keys / West indies     C. pseudoaurantius 21.9 mm, Tobago Keys / West indies

 

When I arrived in Martinique in 2000, I found on the Atlantic coast (which is rarely visited for shells), near the shore on coral and sand substrata a small shell which I named as juvenile Conus regius Gmelin, 1791.

The animal was bright red colored, very different from Conus regius in fact, but at the time I was not enough skilled in Carribean Cone Shells to realize this.

Later while I was studying my shells and after having been to The West Indies I started to realize that It could be linked to Conus pseudoaurantius which has same animal color… maybe also a juvenile of C. aurantius (I never found this specie live).

 

C. pseudoaurantius or C. aurantius ?
18.4 mm, Martinique / Atlantic Coast

 

Then somebody else found one more and contacted me via email. Meaning that at least that 2 specimens were found already and this could simply mean that the range of Conus pseudoaurantius/Conus aurantius would be extended from Grenadines to Martinique or it could be a new member of CONIDAE family…