Conus frigidus Reeve, 1848

Franklin, J. Benjamin, Subramanian, K. A., Fernando, S. Antony & Krishnan, K. S., 2009, 2250, Zootaxa 2250, pp. 1-63 : 30

24. Conus frigidus Reeve, 1848 (Figure 25)

Conus frigidus Reeve, 1848 : pl. 3, no. 284 (type, BMNH (26 x 15 mm) ( Röckel et al. 1995); locality unknown).

Conus maltzanianus Weinkauff, 1873: 204–205 , pl. 32, figs. 3–6 (two syntypes, LMD (51 x 29; 41.5 x 23 mm) ( Röckel et al. 1995); "Tahiti und andere Südsee-Inseln").

Material examined: MBMCS 124 , 14 specimens, SL 38–42 mm; SW 15–20 mm .

Description. Shell small to medium sized, solid. Body whorl conical; outline almost straight. Shoulders sub-angulate; spire of moderate height, outline straight. Body whorl usually with variably spaced generally granulose spiral ribs from base to centre or shoulder, surface seldom smooth.

Shell tan, with paler transverse bands at shoulder and centre, base violet. Aperture purple. Exterior colour band visible as a band along interior border of lip. Periostracum yellowish brown, thick, opaque with numerous axial ridges.

Distribution. Kohn (1978) first reported C. frigidus from India with precise locality data. He has also reported museum specimens collected from Dwarka, Gujarat (at ZSI) and Tuticorin (at BMNH).

The specimens reported herein were collected from Keelakarai ( Table 6) by diving in 3–8 m on sand bottom around rock boulders and within rock crevices and by trawling in 10–30 m.

Remarks. The previous record by Kohn (1978) and the present observations of this species at Keelakarai suggests that its distribution is limited to the Gulf of Mannar. This is the second record of C. frigidus from the east coast and the largest (38 mm).