Conus lividus Hwass

Franklin, J. Benjamin, Subramanian, K. A., Fernando, S. Antony & Krishnan, K. S., 2009, 2250, Zootaxa 2250, pp. 1-63 : 36

33. Conus lividus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792 (Figure 34)

Conus lividus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792: 630–632, no. 28 (lectotype, MHNG (43 x 26 mm) (Kohn 1968); "isles Antilles").

Cucullus monachos Röding, 1792: 39 , no. 490 (representation of lectotype, Martini 1773: pl. 63, fig. 694 (47 x 28 mm) (Kohn 1975); locality unknown).

Conus plebejus Link, 1807: 106 (lectotype, same as for C. monachos Röding ).

Conus primula Reeve, 1849 : pl. 6, no. 259 (type, BMNH (31 x 18 mm); locality unknown).

Material examined: MBMCS 133 , 22 specimens, SL 24–48 mm; SW 12–29 mm .

Description. Shell small to moderately large, solid to heavy. Body whorl broadly conical; outline almost straight. Shoulder angulate, strongly to weakly tuberculate. Spire of low to moderate height, outline straight to slightly concave. Body whorl with variably granulose spiral ribs above base, sometimes to centre.

Body whorl olive to brownish yellow, with pale or white transverse bands at centre and below shoulder. Base dark violet-brown. Apex usually pink. Late spire whorls and shoulder white, sometimes with paler ground colour of body whorl between tubercles. Aperture deep purple-violet, behind narrow orange-brown margin, with pale band at centre and shoulder. Periostracum yellowish-brown, opaque and smooth with fine axial ridges.

Distribution. Satyamurti (1952) reported this species from Shingle Island of Gulf of Mannar. Kohn (1978) has referred to a specimen deposited in ZMUC as being obtained off Tranquebar. Röckel et al. (1995) reported a specimen from south India.

The specimens reported herein were collected from Gulf of Mannar ( Table 6) by trawling in 10–30 m. Specimens were found to be comparatively abundant at Keelakarai .

Remarks. The distribution of C. lividus is restricted to the Gulf of Mannar. The occurrence of a larger number of specimens from Keelakarai may be associated with the fact that they generally inhabit the edges of the fringing reefs of the nearby coral islands.