Conus marmoreus Linnaeus, 1758

Franklin, J. Benjamin, Subramanian, K. A., Fernando, S. Antony & Krishnan, K. S., 2009, 2250, Zootaxa 2250, pp. 1-63 : 39

38. Conus marmoreus Linnaeus, 1758 (Figure 39)

Conus marmoreus Linnaeus, 1758: 712 , no. 250 (lectotype, LSL (51 x 28 mm) ( Walls 1979); "Asia").

Cucullus proarchithalassus Röding, 1798: 38 , no. 470 (representation of lectotype, Martini 1773: pl. 62, fig. 686 (56 x 33 mm) (Kohn 1975); locality unknown).

Conus maculatus Perry, 1811 : pl. 24, fig. 24 (representation of holotype, Perry 1811: pl. 24, fig. 4 (76 x 45 mm) ( Kohn 1986); locality unknown).

Conus marmoreu s var. granulatus Sowerby I, 1839 : pt. 155/156, fig. 120 (representation of lectotype, Sowerby I 1839: pt. 155/156, fig. 120 (30 x 17 mm) ( Kohn 1992); locality unknown).

Conus crosseanus Bernardi, 1861: 168–169 , pl. 6, figs. 3, 4 (lectotype, BMNH (69 x 39.5 mm) ( Coomans et al. 1985a); " Nova Caledonia ").

Conus suffusus Sowerby III, 1870: 255–256 , pl. 22, fig. 9 (holotype, BMNH (55 x 33 mm); " New Caledonia ").

Conus suffusus var. noumeeni s Crosse, 1872: 155–156, pl. 16, fig. 2 (type, Coll. Marie?; "Noumea, Novae Caledoniae").

Conus pseudomarmoreus Crosse, 1875: 223–225 , pl. 9, fig. 4 (holotype, MNHN (50.5 x 30 mm) ( Röckel et al. 1995); locality unknown).

Conus crosseanus var. lineata Crosse, 1878: 168 , pl. 3, figs. 3, 3a (type, BMNH 65 x 37 mm ( Röckel et al. 1995); " Nova Caledonia ").

Material examined: MBMCS138 , 2 specimens, SL 62–85 mm; SW 30–42 mm .

Description. Shell medium sized, moderately solid to heavy. Body whorl conical, sides straight. About ten to twelve weak and closely spaced spiral ridges above the base. Body whorl with weak regularly spaced spiral ribs on basal fourth to half. Shoulder angulate, strongly tuberculate; spire low, outline straight.

Ground colour white. Body whorl with a regular network of black lines and triangular to rhomboid areas, outlining white tents that are quite uniform in shape and arrangement and usually separate from each other. In live specimen apex is purplish red. Aperture white.

Distribution. Frauenfeld (1869) first reported this species from Madras. Subsequently, Thurston (1890, 1895) and Satyamurti (1952) reported it from Pamban. Along the west coast, it was recorded from the Malabar Coast ( Weinkauff, 1875).

The specimens reported herein were collected from Keelakarai and Tuticorin ( Table 6) by trawling in 10– 20 m, close to the fringing coral islands of the Gulf of Mannar .

Remarks. Appears to be a rare species along the Indian Coast.