Conasprella mazei
Conasprella mazei, common name Maze's cone, is a species of predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails, cone shells or cones.[1]
Conasprella mazei | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Gastropoda |
Clade: | Caenogastropoda |
Clade: | Hypsogastropoda |
Clade: | Neogastropoda |
Superfamily: | Conoidea |
Family: | Conidae |
Genus: | Conasprella |
Species: | C. mazei |
Binomial name | |
Conasprella mazei Deshayes, 1874 | |
Synonyms[1] | |
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Like all species within the genus Conasprella, these cone snails are predatory and venomous. They are capable of "stinging" humans, therefore live ones should be handled carefully or not at all.
Description
Conasprella mazei is a very consistent species, displaying little variation throughout its range. The shell of this species is very elongate with an unusually high spire. The shell color is whitish with brown dot markings that can be almost square in shape.
Distribution
This is a western Atlantic species, also occurring in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.
Habitat
This is a deepwater species. The minimum recorded depth is 152 m., and the maximum recorded depth is 549 m.[2]
References
- Bouchet, P. (2015). Conasprella mazei (Deshayes, 1874). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=835315 on 2015-03-15
- Welch J. J. (2010). "The "Island Rule" and Deep-Sea Gastropods: Re-Examining the Evidence". PLoS ONE 5(1): e8776. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0008776.