Kalloconus pulcher

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 : 56-57

Kalloconus pulcher ([Lightfoot], 1786)

Fig. 9 A–B

Conus pulcher [Lightfoot], 1786: 179, no. 3844.

Conus siamensis Hwass in Bruguière, 1792: 662 .

Conus papilionaceus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792: 665 .

Conus prometheus Bruguière, 1792: 667 .

Cucullus indiae Röding, 1798: 43 .

Conus archithalassius Link, 1807: 102 .

Conus gigas Fischer von Waldheim, 1807: 140 .

Conus fluctifer Dillwyn, 1817: 382 .

Conus grandis G.B. Sowerby I, 1823 : pl. 266, fig. 2.

Conus nicolii Wilson, 1831 : pl. XXXVI.

Conus papillaris G.B. Sowerby I, 1833 : pl. 37, fig. 54.

Conus breviculus G.B. Sowerby I, 1833 : pl. 37, fig. 55.

Conus pulcher pulcher – Monteiro et al. 2004: 67, pls 18–21.

Material examined

Lectotype

Representation of lectotype in Lister et al. (1688: pl. 772, fig. 18) ( Kohn 1964). Type locality: coasts of Guinea ( West Africa ).

Other material

SENEGAL • 1 spec.; Les Almadies , Dakar; 14º44ʹ40ʺ N, 17º31ʹ44ʺ W; 1 Jul. 2015; MNCN exped.; GenBank mitochondrion, partial genome: KY864972 ; MNCN 15.05/78414 • 1 spec.; between Dakar and St. Louis; 7 Jul. 2015; L. Tamagnini leg.; GenBank mitochondrion, partial genome: KY864973 ; MNCN 15.05/78536 .

GUINEA • 1 spec., 136 mm; off Conakry; 50–60 m depth; MJT ( Fig. 9A) .

“ INDIAN OCEAN ” (erroneous) • 1 spec., lectotype of C. siamensis , 102 mm; MHNG-MOLL-52702 ( Fig. 9B) .

Geographical distribution

West Africa, from Senegal to Angola. Not present in the Cabo Verde Archipelago.

Conservation status in IUCN Red List

Least concern.

Remarks

This is the largest-sized extant species of cone snail worldwide. Specimens from the Gulf of Guinea can exceed 200 mm in shell length. It is a vermivorous species widely distributed along the West African coast in shallow water, but absent in Cabo Verde Archipelago. Historically it has received many names, which are all synonymized under the taxon K. pulcher . The name papilionaceus has been applied to small juveniles of K. pulcher , characterized by their brightly colored, well defined pattern. The taxon K. byssinus might represent a distinct species, or just a phenotypic northern variation of K. pulcher (see above). On the other hand, our mitogenomic analysis has revealed that the populations of pulcher -like individuals from the Canary Islands correspond to a separate species hereby introduced as K. canariensis sp. nov. (see above).