Nataliconus Knowpia

Nataliconus
	Apertural and abapertural views of shell of Conus natalis (Sowerby, G.B. II, 1857)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
(unranked):	clade Caenogastropoda; clade Hypsogastropoda; clade Neogastropoda
Superfamily:	Conoidea
Family:	Conidae
Genus:	Nataliconus; Tucker & Tenorio, 2009
Synonyms
	Conus (Leptoconus) Swainson, 1840

Nataliconus has become a synonym of the subgenus Conus (Leptoconus) Swainson, 1840 represented as Conus Linnaeus, 1758as stated the latest classification of the family Conidae by Puillandre N., Duda T.F., Meyer C., Olivera B.M. & Bouchet P. (2015).^[1]

These are sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.^[2]

Distinguishing characteristics edit

The Tucker & Tenorio 2009 taxonomy distinguishes Nataliconus 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]

Genus Nataliconus Tucker & Tenorio, 2009

Shell characters (living and fossil species)

The shell is conical to cylindrical in shape with a conic spire and angular to subangulate shoulders. The protoconch is paucispiral. The whorl tops have an enlarged ridge in the center and cords which may die out early or become numerous and small. Nodules are either absent or die out very early. The anal notch is deep. The body whorl is fairly smooth and is ornamented with spiral lines of minute tents, but textile bars are absent.

Radular tooth (not known for fossil species)

The anterior section of the radular tooth is greatly elongated in comparison with the posterior section. A basal spur is absent, and the barb and blade are short. The waist is not obvious, and the radular tooth has serrations and a terminating cusp.

Geographical distribution

These species are endemic to the South African region.

Feeding habits

These species are molluscivorus, meaning that these cone snails' prey on other mollusks. These cone snails have been shown to have a preference in prey and choose to eat mollusks in the family Ranellidae.^[3]^[4]

Species list edit

This list of species is based on the information in the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) list. Species within the genus Nataliconus include:^[2]

Nataliconus immelmani (Korn, 1998): synonym of Conus immelmani Korn, 1998
Nataliconus natalis (G.B. Sowerby II, 1858): synonym of Conus natalis G.B. Sowerby II, 1858
Nataliconus royaikeni (S. G. Veldsman, 2010): synonym of Conus royaikeni (S. G. Veldsman, 2010)

References edit

^ 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
^ ^a ^b Bouchet, P. (2011). Nataliconus Tucker & Tenorio, 2009. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=574472 on 2012-01-21
^ ^a ^b ^c Tucker J.K. & Tenorio M.J. (2009), Systematic Classification of Recent and Fossil Conoidean Gastropods, ConchBooks, Hankenheim, Germany, 295 pp.
^ S. Veldsman (1999) Three cones from Transkei, South Africa. The Strandloper, 257:1-5.