Conus dictator Melvill, 1898

Franklin, J. Benjamin, Subramanian, K. A., Fernando, S. Antony & Krishnan, K. S., 2009, 2250, Zootaxa 2250, pp. 1-63 : 27

18. Conus dictator Melvill, 1898 (Figure 19)

Conus (Leptoconus) dictator Melvill, 1898: 9–10 , pl. 1, fig. 10 (holotype, BMNH (46 x 19 mm) ( Röckel et al. 1995); " Sheikh Shuaib Island, Persian Gulf ").

Material examined: MBMCS 118 , 38 specimens, SL 22–46 mm; SW 08– 28 mm .

Description. Shell small to medium sized, moderately light. Body whorl narrowly to broadly conical. Shoulder angulate. Spire of moderate height, outline concave. Body whorl with spiral grooves separated by ribbons on basal third to two thirds, sometimes to shoulder.

Ground colour cream. Body whorl with orange to brown axial streaks or flammules, generally fusing in three spiral bands, within the basal third, near centre and below the shoulder. Aperture white marginally, violet within; basal portion often orange.

Distribution. Röckel et al. (1995) reported C. dictator from Rameswaram, south India.

The specimens described herein were collected from Keelakarai by trawling in 10–50 m and very few from Vembar by diving in 3–8 m ( Table 6). This species was found to occur along with C. inscriptus on sand substrates.

Remarks. Conus dictator may be mistaken for C. lentiginosus ; the latter species is more convex and has a broader body whorl, with weak tuberculation on the spire whorls. Previous records revealed that C. dictator occurs in 15– 100 m. We collected specimens within depths of 3– 8 m. A specimen collected from Keelakarai of 46 mm shell length is the largest reported from Indian waters.