Conus vexillum Gmelin, 1791

Franklin, J. Benjamin, Subramanian, K. A., Fernando, S. Antony & Krishnan, K. S., 2009, 2250, Zootaxa 2250, pp. 1-63 : 49-50

56. Conus vexillum Gmelin, 1791 (Figure 57)

Conus vexillum Gmelin, 1791: 3397 , no. 68 (representation of lectotype, Rumphius 1705. pl. 31, fig. 5 (68 x 39 mm) ( Kohn 1966); locality unknown).

Conus sumatrensis Hwass in Bruguière, 1792: 655–656, no. 54 (representation of lectotype, n Chemnitz 1788: pl. 144a, figs. a, b (71 x 45 mm) ( Walls 1979); "Isle de Sumatra ").

Cucullus canonicus Röding, 1798: 43 , no. 535/54 (representation of lectotype, Martini 1773: pl. 57, fig. 629 (63 x 35 mm); locality unknown).

Conus princeps Holten, 1802: 34 , no. 440 (lectotype same as that of C. sumatrensis Hwass ( Kohn 1981) ; locality unknown).

Conus leopardus Dillwyn, 1817: 364 , no. 20 (lectotype same as that of C. sumatrensis Hwass ( Walls 1979) ; "East Indian Seas, Sumatra ").

Conus sulphuratus Kiener, 1845 : pl. 66, fig. 3, pl. 78, fig. 4.

Conus robillardi Bernardi, 1858: 182–183 , pl. 7, figs. 2, 3 (holotype, MNHN (27 x 14 mm) ( Röckel et al. 1995); locality unknown).

Material examined: MBMCS156 , 8 specimens, SL 40–108 mm; SW 22–52 mm .

Description. Shell medium sized to large, solid to heavy. Body whorl conical to broadly conical, outline convex adapically, straight below. Shoulder angulate to rounded. Spire of low to moderate height, outline straight to slightly convex, weak spiral ribs on base. Aperture uniformly wide, interior white, outer lip thin sharp and straight.

Ground colour white. Body whorl brown except for variably broad white spiral bands at centre and shoul- der, often interrupted and sometimes absent. Overlying, dense wavy dark-brown streaks, and closely spaced coarse to fine lines extend from base to shoulder. Spire white, flecked with brown. Base dark-brown. Periostracum olive-brown, thick and ridged.

Distribution. Conus vexillum has been reported from the Malabar coast ( Bruguière 1792; Mawe 1823; Melvill & Standen 1898), west coast of India. Kohn (1978) referred to museum specimens collected at Tuticorin (at ZSI and MGM) and an unlabelled specimen in the Krusadai Island Museum.

The specimens reported herein were collected from Keelakarai and Tuticorin ( Table 6) by trawling in 10– 40 m, mainly on sand bottoms.

Remarks. An uncommon species probably restricted to Gulf of Mannar.