Eremiconus

Eremiconus is a subgenus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the genus Conus, family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.^[1]

Eremiconus
Apertural and abapertural views of shell of Conus minnamurra (Garrard, T.A., 1961)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
(unranked):	clade Caenogastropoda clade Hypsogastropoda clade Neogastropoda
Superfamily:	Conoidea
Family:	Conidae
Genus:	Conus
Subgenus:	Eremiconus Tucker & Tenorio, 2009
Type species
Conus minnamurra (Garrard, 1961)
Synonyms
Conus (Eremiconus) Tucker & Tenorio, 2009 represented as Conus Linnaeus, 1758

In the latest classification of the family Conidae by Puillandre N., Duda T.F., Meyer C., Olivera B.M. & Bouchet P. (2015), Eremiconus has become a subgenus of Conus as Conus (Eremiconus) represented as Conus Linnaeus, 1758 ^[2]

Distinguishing characteristics

The Tucker & Tenorio 2009 taxonomy distinguishes Eremiconus from Conus in the following ways:^[3]

• Genus Conus sensu stricto Linnaeus, 1758

Shell characters (living and fossil species)

The basic shell shape is conical to elongated conical, has a deep anal notch on the shoulder, a smooth periostracum and a small operculum. The shoulder of the shell is usually nodulose and the protoconch is usually multispiral. Markings often include the presence of tents except for black or white color variants, with the absence of spiral lines of minute tents and textile bars.

Radular tooth (not known for fossil species)

The radula has an elongated anterior section with serrations and a large exposed terminating cusp, a non-obvious waist, blade is either small or absent and has a short barb, and lacks a basal spur.

Geographical distribution

These species are found in the Indo-Pacific region.

Feeding habits

These species eat other gastropods including cones.^[3]

• Subgenus Eremiconus Tucker & Tenorio, 2009

Shell characters (living and fossil species)

The shell is turbinate with a convex and scalariform spire. The protoconch is paucispiral with 1.5 whorls. The whorl tops have cords, but nodules are absent. Ridges or sulci reach the shoulder. The anal notch is shallow. The periostracum and operculum were not observed.

Radular tooth (not known for fossil species)

The radular tooth was no observed, and therefore its structure is unknown.

Geographical distribution

The only living species in this genus is endemic to Australia.

Feeding habits

Unknown.^[3]

Species list

This list of species is based on the information in the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) list. Species within the genus Eremiconus include:^[1]

• Eremiconus albellus Röckel & Korn, 1990 : synonym of Conus (Eremiconus) albellus Röckel & Korn, 1990, represented as Conus albellus Röckel & Korn, 1990
• Eremiconus colmani Röckel & Korn, 1990 : synonym of Conus (Eremiconus) colmani Röckel & Korn, 1990 , represented as Conus colmani Röckel & Korn, 1990
• Eremiconus limpusi Röckel & Korn, 1990: synonym of Conus (Eremiconus) limpusi Röckel & Korn, 1990, represented as Conus limpusi Röckel & Korn, 1990
• Eremiconus lizardensis Crosse, 1865 : synonym of Conus (Eremiconus) lizardensis Crosse, 1865, represented as Conus lizardensis Crosse, 1865
• Eremiconus minnamurra (Garrard, 1961): synonym of Conus (Eremiconus) minnamurra (Garrard, 1961), represented as Conus minnamurra (Garrard, 1961)

References

1. Eremiconus Tucker & Tenorio, 2009. Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 07/13/11.
2. Puillandre N., Duda T.F., Meyer C., Olivera B.M. & Bouchet P. (2015). One, four or 100 genera? A new classification of the cone snails. Journal of Molluscan Studies. 81: 1-23
3. Tucker J.K. & Tenorio M.J. (2009), Systematic Classification of Recent and Fossil Conoidean Gastropods, ConchBooks, Hankenheim, Germany, 295 pp.

Further reading

• Kohn A. A. (1992). Chronological Taxonomy of Conus, 1758-1840. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington and London.
• Monteiro A. (ed.) (2007). The Cone Collector 1: 1-28.
• Berschauer D. (2010). Technology and the Fall of the Mono-Generic Family The Cone Collector 15: pp. 51-54
• Puillandre N., Meyer C.P., Bouchet P., and Olivera B.M. (2011), Genetic divergence and geographical variation in the deep-water Conus orbignyi complex (Mollusca: Conoidea), Zoologica Scripta 40(4) 350-363.

External links

• To World Register of Marine Species
• Gastropods.com: Conidae setting forth the genera recognized therein.
• Gastropods.com: Image of Eremiconus minnamurra (Garrard, 1961).