Conus mitratus Hwass

Franklin, J. Benjamin, Subramanian, K. A., Fernando, S. Antony & Krishnan, K. S., 2009, 2250, Zootaxa 2250, pp. 1-63 : 40-41

41. Conus mitratus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792 (Figure 42)

Conus mitratus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792: 738, no. 132 (lectotype, MHNG (43 x 15 mm) ( Walls 1979); "Ocean indien"). Conus mitratus var. pupaeformis Sowerby III, 1870: 256 , pl. 22, fig. 2 (" Mauritius ").

Material examined: MBMCS 141 , 1 specimen, SL 41 mm; SW 13 mm .

Description. Shell medium sized, thick, moderately light, glossy. Body whorl elongate and cylindrical. Shoulder indistinct. Spire high; outline convex, sharply pointed; earliest two to three whorls with fine nodules, later whorls with indistinct spiral ridges often bearing small granules. Body whorl with granulose spiral ribs from base to anterior half of the body whorl. Aperture narrow, slightly widened anteriorly; outer lip thick slightly convex.

Ground colour yellowish. Body whorl with dark brown, blurred axial streaks and blotches. Pattern elements fusing into a spiral band at centre and similar but narrower band above base. Apex white. Shoulder edges of early post nuclear whorls including tubercles with brown band. Aperture white, external visible through at margin.

Distribution. Conus mitratus has not been reported previously from India.

The specimen reported herein was collected from Tuticorin ( Table 6) by trawling in 10–30 m, associated with coarse sand.

Remarks. This is an extremely rare species in India.