Conus pretiosus Nevill and Nevill, 1874

Franklin, J. Benjamin, Subramanian, K. A., Fernando, S. Antony & Krishnan, K. S., 2009, 2250, Zootaxa 2250, pp. 1-63 : 43

46. Conus pretiosus Nevill and Nevill, 1874 (Figure 47)

Conus pretiosus Nevill & Nevill, 1874: 22 (holotype, ZSI (59.5 x 24 mm); "Andamans").

Conus phuketensis da Motta, 1978: 4 , fig. 2.pl. 67 (holotype, MHNG (81 x 33 mm) ( Röckel et al. 1995); "off the coastal waters from Phuket Islands South West Thailand westward toward the Andaman Islands in the Andaman Sea").

Material examined: MBMCS146 , 4 specimens, SL 48–80 mm; SW 21–33 mm .

Description. Shell moderately large to large, moderately solid. Body whorl ventricosely conical, outline convex adapically and straight below. Shoulder angulate. Spire of moderate height, stepped, outline straight, apex pointed and sharp. Body whorl smooth. Outer lip thin and sharp. Periostracum thin and translucent.

Ground colour white to cream. Body whorl with narrow brown (cream to yellowish brown) spiral bands from base to shoulder. Overlying spiral rows of variously sized and shaped brown to dark brown markings fuse into variably prominent interrupted spiral bands, below shoulder and above centre. Spire whorls white to brown, early whorls white to pale brown. Post nuclear sutural ramps white or cream with brown radial streaks and blotches. Aperture pale pinkish; exterior pattern visible on the outer lip margin. Periostracum brown and translucent.

Distribution. Nevill & Nevill (1874) reported this species for the first time from the Andaman Islands. Röckel et al. (1995) recorded one specimen from Tuticorin and another from Bay of Bengal; the exact locality of the latter was not given.

The specimens described herein were collected from Keelakarai and Pamban ( Table 6) by trawling in 40– 60 m.

Remarks. Conus pretiosus is extremely rare and probably restricted to Gulf of Mannar. Fishermen of Pamban consider it a rare species and differentiate it from other cones by naming it as ‘Pamban vallapoo’.