Varioconus belairensis ( Pin & Leung Tack in Pin, 1989a ) Tenorio & Abalde & Pardos-Blas & Cmim, 2020

Tenorio, Manuel J., Abalde, Samuel, Pardos-Blas, José R. & Zardoya, Rafael, 2020, Taxonomic revision of West African cone snails (Gastropoda: Conidae) based upon mitogenomic studies: implications for conservation, European Journal of Taxonomy 663 (663), pp. 1-89 : 63

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5852/ejt.2020.663

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:78E7049C-F592-4D01-9D15-C7715119B584

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/AE38686E-3067-FFB8-FE75-FD4BFA880FD3

treatment provided by

Valdenar

scientific name

Varioconus belairensis ( Pin & Leung Tack in Pin, 1989a )
status

comb. nov.

Varioconus belairensis ( Pin & Leung Tack in Pin, 1989a) View in CoL comb. nov.

Fig. 10D View Fig

Conus belairensis Pin & Leung Tack in Pin, 1989a: 33 View in CoL , pl. 1, figs 2–4, pl. 2A, figs 1–2.

Conus belairensis View in CoL – Monteiro et al. 2004: 27, pl. 36.

Material examined

Holotype

SENEGAL • 36.7 mm; Pointe de Bel-Air , south coast of Dakar; MNHN IM-2000-32668 ( Fig. 10D View Fig ).

Other material

SENEGAL • 1 spec.; Terrou-Bi, Dakar; 14º40ʹ28ʺ N, 17º28ʹ9ʺ W; 4 Jul. 2015; MNCN exped.; GenBank mitochondrion, partial genome: KY801849 View Materials ; MNCN 15.05/78504 GoogleMaps .

Geographical distribution

Dakar area including Madeleine Island, and to the south along the Petite Côte, Senegal.

Conservation status in IUCN Red List

Endangered. Status revision required.

Remarks

This is a valid, phenotypically variable species, which is closer to V. reticulatus than to V. mercator , both phylogenetically and according to its radular morphology ( Abalde et al. 2017b). The distinction between V. belairensis and V. reticulatus based upon conchological or even radular features might not be effective in all cases. Whereas the original population from Bel-Air in Dakar seems to be extinct due to pollution from the large harbor of the city, the species occurs in many other locations around Dakar and to the south. As it happens with most species of cone snails living on the peninsula of Dakar, the individuals seem to have adapted very well to anthropogenic conditions, and populations thrive even in densely populated areas as long as they are not affected by chemical contamination, i.e., fuel from port activities.

MNHN

France, Paris, Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle

MNHN

Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle

MNCN

Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Mollusca

Class

Gastropoda

Order

Neogastropoda

Family

Conidae

Genus

Varioconus

Loc

Varioconus belairensis ( Pin & Leung Tack in Pin, 1989a )

Tenorio, Manuel J., Abalde, Samuel, Pardos-Blas, José R. & Zardoya, Rafael 2020
2020
Loc

Conus belairensis

Monteiro A. & Tenorio M. J. & Poppe G. T. 2004: 27
2004
Loc

Conus belairensis Pin & Leung Tack in Pin, 1989a: 33

Pin M. & Leung Tack K. D. & in Pin M. 1989: 33
1989
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