Apertural view of shell of Californiconus californicus (Hinds in Reeve, 1844), measuring 29.1 mm in height, collected at low tide in Huntington Beach, California.
As both the scientific and common names suggest, this cone is found along the Californian coast.
Distribution and habitat
This small cone snail is unusual, in that most cone snail species are tropical, whereas this species lives in the cooler, temperate waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean, including most of the coast of California.[3] The range of this species is from the Farallon Islands near San Francisco to Bahía Magdalena, in Baja California Sur, Mexico.
This cone is found in both rocky and sandy areas, in the intertidal zone, and subtidally down to 30 meters depth.
Shell description
This shell is distinguished by its grayish-brown color and thick periostracum. It is round-shouldered with the aperture broader at the base. The spire is flat-sided, and the height of the shell ranges from 25–40mm.[4]
Feeding habits
The California cone hunts and eats marine worms, fish, and other mollusks. It is also a scavenger.[3]
Gallery
A live individual of the California cone, Californiconus californicus, anterior end towards the right
12Stewart J. & Gilly W. F. (October 2005). "Piscivorous Behavior of a Temperate Cone Snail, Conus californicus". Biological Bulletin 209: 146–153. full text.
↑McLean, James H., 1978 Marine Shells of Southern California, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Museum, Science Series 24, 51–52.
↑McMenamin, M. A. S. (1984). "Conus californicus from the Late Pleistocene of Isla Vista, California". Bulletin of the Southern California Paleontological Society. 16 (1&2): 9.
Tucker J.K. & Tenorio M.J. (2009) Systematic classification of Recent and fossil conoidean gastropods. Hackenheim: Conchbooks. 296 pp.
