Conus tuticorinensis Röckel & Korn, 1990

Franklin, J. Benjamin, Subramanian, K. A., Fernando, S. Antony & Krishnan, K. S., 2009, 2250, Zootaxa 2250, pp. 1-63 : 49

55. Conus tuticorinensis Röckel & Korn, 1990 (Figure 56)

Conus tuticorinensis Röckel & Korn, 1990: 277–291 , pl. 2, fig. 2, pl. 2, fig. 1 (holotype, SMF (26 x 16.5 mm) ( Röckel et al. 1995); "Tuticorin, South East Indien ").

Material examined. MBMCS155 , 1 specimen, SL 24 mm; SW 14 mm .

Description. Shell small, moderately solid. Body whorl broadly conical, outline convex adapically. Shoul- der angulate. Spire low, outline straight. Body whorl with flat spiral ribbons from base to shoulder.

Ground colour white, suffused with pale violet on last whorl. Body whorl with orange-brown “brick wall pattern” of about twelve spiral lines and irregular axial lines; similarly coloured irregular flecks spirally aligned below shoulder and each side of centre. Apex white. Aperture reddish white.

Distribution. Kohn (1978) first reported this species from India with reference to museum specimens collected by Winckworth from Tuticorin (at BMNH) and by Sukherwala from Tuticorin and Rameswaram (at AMNH). Röckel & Korn (1990) reported on three specimens from Tuticorin.

The specimen described herein was collected from the dumped by-catch at Tuticorin fishing harbour ( Table 6). The exact depth of occurrence and nature of bottom is not known.

Remarks. This species is extremely rare in the TamilNadu Coast. Röckel & Korn (1990) described C. tuticorinensis as C. boschi ( Clover 1972) . The shell shape of C. boschi and intergrading colour pattern of the holotype specimen of C. melvilli Sowerby III are similar, thus, C. boschi and C. melvilli were considered as conspecific. Röckel et al. (1995) considered C. boschi as invalid species and placed it with C. melvilli . C. tuticorinensis is similar to C. melvilli . The latter species differs in its wider sutures and absence of spiral grooves from its sutural ramps. Also, C. melvilli has a dark violet aperture, less angulate shoulder and narrow last whorl.