Conus geographus Linnaeus, 1758

Franklin, J. Benjamin, Subramanian, K. A., Fernando, S. Antony & Krishnan, K. S., 2009, 2250, Zootaxa 2250, pp. 1-63 : 30-31

25. Conus geographus Linnaeus, 1758 (Figure 26)

Conus geographus Linnaeus, 1758: 718 (lectotype, LSL (98 x 48 mm) ( Röckel et al. 1995); "Indiis").

Material examined: MBMCS 125 , 18 specimens, SL 60–120 mm; SW 28–48 mm .

Description. Shell thin, large and light in weight, but solid. Body whorl narrowly cylindrical; outline nearly straight or slightly convex above and nearly parallel centrally, slightly concave to convex (right side) or concave (left side) below. Body whorl with a few, very low and indistinct oblique ridges on the base, numerous axial threads over body whorl. Shoulder angulate with low, rounded coronations. Spire low, sides concave, the whorls stepped and with raised margins. Aperture wider at base than near shoulder, outer lip thin, sharp and convex.

Body whorl creamy white, pinkish or bluish white, heavily covered with a reticulated network of fine brownish lines from base to shoulder; reticulations may be distinct or broken appearing mottled; usually two to three broad spiral bands within basal third, above centre and often below shoulder (invariably few specimens showed slight variation in the intensity of the colour pattern of the body whorl). Spire colour like body whorl with large brownish blotches at the margins of the coronations; early whorls pink. Interior of aperture bluish white to pale pinkish, exterior pattern showing through. Periostracum thin, smooth translucent, yellowish-orange.

Distribution. The first report of C. geographus was from Tuticorin ( Thurston 1895). Subsequent records are from Krusadai Island ( Satyamurti 1952) and Rameswaram ( Sundaram 1969). Kohn (1978) reported a museum specimen collected from Tuticorin (at MGM). He also stated that the distribution of this species in India is probably restricted to the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay.

The specimens from described herein were collected from Gulf of Mannar ( Table 6) by trawling in 15–30 m.

Remarks. One of the specimens of C. geographus collected from Pamban resembles C. fragilissimus , comparatively thinner and with sharp outer lip compared to other specimens (Figure 62M). The restricted distribution of this species to the Gulf of Mannar could be due to its preference for corals and sand bottoms with appropriate prey organisms.