Prince Cone Shell, Conus princeps

Prince Cone Shell, Conus princeps. Shell collected off the beach in the greater Los Cabos area, Baja California Sur,  November 2010. Size: 3.5 cm (1.4 inches) x 1.9 cm (0.7 inches).

Prince Cone Shell, Conus princeps. Shell collected off the beach in the greater Los Cabos area, Baja California Sur,  November 2010. Size: 5.9 cm (2.3 inches) x 4.0 cm (1.6 inches).

Phylogeny: The Prince Cone Shell, Conus princeps (Linnaeus, 1758), is a gastropod mollusk that is a member of the Conidae Family of Cone Shells. The genus Conus is one of eight genera in this family, and there are around eight hundred ten species in this genus. They are also known as the Princely Cone Shell and in Mexico as Cono Principesco.

Description: Prince Cone Shells are gorgeous and easily distinguishable by their coral, pink, or orange color.  They have low, well-coronated, spires. These shells have a varying number of wavy dark brown or black lines running from the top of the shell, down the length of the shell. The lines vary in thickness and length from shell to shell. The aperture is the same color as the shell, or a little lighter. They are covered with a thick, brown,  periostracum, which is rough to the point of being bristly. Prince Cone Shells reach a maximum of 9.0 cm (3.5 inches) in length.

Habitat and Distribution: Prince Cones are found on and between rocks and under rock ledges. They are often found around brown algae. They live in the intertidal zone, and to depths up to 35 m (115 feet). They are a subtropical to tropical Eastern Pacific species that are found in all Mexican waters of the Pacific Ocean with the exception that they are absent from north of Magdalena Bay, Baja California Sur, along the central and northwest coasts of the Baja Peninsula and north of Gonzaga Bay, Baja California, in the Sea of Cortez.

Ecology and Behavior: Prince Cones are predators that feed primarily on fish, mollusks, worms and other cone snails. They are gonochoric and reproduce sexually, with internal fertilization. The eggs are laid in protective capsules. Their engagement in any type of commensal, parasitic, or symbiotic relationship has not been formally documented. From a conservation perspective the Prince Cone Shell is currently considered to be of Least Concern, with stable widely distributed populations. Cone Shells are venomous and capable of stinging human and should be handled with great care if live organisms are present.

Synonyms: Conus (Ductoconus) princeps, Conus lineolatus, Conus princeps var. apogrammatus, Conus regius, Conus regus, and Ductoconus princeps.