Conus pulicarius Hwass in Bruguière, 1792
Salt & Pepper
cone, 50mm
Conus
pulicarius is abundant in lagoon and seaward reef sand patches from 1
to at least 60m depth. It can most easily be found by following trails it leaves
in the sand and digging up the lump at the end. The shell is white with randomly
arranged black spots, overall covered with a thin yellow periostracum. It is
similar to Conus eburneus,
which lives in the same habitat, but in that species the black dots are arranged
in rows and the spire is smooth rather than nodulose. In both of these species,
you occasionally see a specimen that lacks spots entirely.
The next two photos show cones with their egg masses, which are usually deposited
on algae clumps or under rocks.
Created
4 July 2009
Updated 11 November 2020
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