Cone Collector’s Guide: What’s New 2014

Any significant news and changes in 2014 are summarised here and they will be integrated as appropriate into the next release of the main files of the Paul Kersten checklist.  These main files were last updated in December  2014. 

Events reported up to December 2013 from the launch of the website, will be found in WhatsNew 2013 section.

 

December 2014.

New  cone, Graphiconus indomaris from India,  published in Malacologia v85 by Luigi Bozzetti.

For more information: (www.malacologia.org).

 

indomaris-holotype.jpg

Indomaris holotype MNHN

 

 

October 2014.

7 New Cones published in Xenophora 5

For more information www.xenophora.org

 

Three new cones from Angola described by António Monteiro, Carlos Afonso, Manuel  J. Tenorio, José Rosado & David Pirinhas

 

inesae_holotype.jpg

medvedervi_holotype.jpg

Varioconus inesae holotype

Varioconus medvedevi holotype

 

petuchi_holotype.jpg

Varioconus petuchi  holotype

 

 


 

3 new species described in Xenophora 5 by Michael Rabiller and George Richard. These specimens were obtained by deep water research dredging  in French Polynesia.

 

aito_holotype.jpg

paumotu_holotype.jpg

Conus aito holotype

Conus paumotu holotype

 

tarava_holotype.jpg

Conus tarava holotype

 

   New cone from Moorea, French Polynesia described by Monnier & Limpalaër.

 

pomareae_holotype.JPG

Leporiconus pomareae holotype

 

 

September 2014.

Two significant papers published based on results of  a DNA analysis of  a comprehensive sample of Cone species.

The first paper as published May 2014 in Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution.

Molecular phylogeny and evolution of the cone snails (Gastropoda, Conoidea).

Puillandre N, Bouchet P, Duda TF Jr, Kauferstein S, Kohn AJ, Olivera BM, Watkins M, Meyer C.

It  concludes that Conidae is one family with 4 Genera; Cone, Conasprella, Profundiconus and Californiconus.

“We present a large-scale molecular phylogeny that includes 320 of the 761 recognized valid species of the cone snails (Conus), one of the most diverse groups of marine molluscs, based on three mitochondrial genes (COI, 16S rDNA and 12S rDNA). This is the first phylogeny of the taxon to employ concatenated sequences of several genes, and it includes more than twice as many species as the last published molecular phylogeny of the entire group nearly a decade ago. Most of the numerous molecular phylogenies published during the last 15years are limited to rather small fractions of its species diversity. Bayesian and maximum likelihood analyses are mostly congruent and confirm the presence of three previously reported highly divergent lineages among cone snails, and one identified here using molecular data. About 85% of the species cluster in the single Large Major Clade; the others are divided between the Small Major Clade (12%), the Conus californicus lineage (one species), and a newly defined clade (3%). We also define several subclades within the Large and Small major clades, but most of their relationships remain poorly supported. To illustrate the usefulness of molecular phylogenies in addressing specific evolutionary questions, we analyse the evolution of the diet, the biogeography and the toxins of cone snails. All cone snails whose feeding biology is known inject venom into large prey animals and swallow them whole. Predation on polychaete worms is inferred as the ancestral state, and diet shifts to molluscs and fishes occurred rarely. The ancestor of cone snails probably originated from the Indo-Pacific; rather few colonisations of other biogeographic provinces have probably occurred. A new classification of the Conidae, based on the molecular phylogeny, is published in an accompanying paper. “

The second paper was published in August in Journal of Molluscan studies.

One, four or 100 genera? A new classification of the cone snails: N. Puillandre, T. F. Duda, C. Meyer, B. M. Olivera and P. Bouchet.

 


“We present a new classification for the genus Conus sensu lato (family Conidae), based on molecular phylogenetic analyses of 329 species. This classification departs from both the traditional classification in only one genus and from a recently proposed shell- and radula-based classification scheme that separates members of this group into five families and 115 genera. Roughly 140 genus-group names are available for Recent cone snails. We propose to place all cone snails within a single family (Conidae) containing four genera—Conus, Conasprella, Profundiconus and Californiconus (with Conus alone encompassing about 85% of known species)—based on the clear separation of cone snails into four distinct and well-supported groups/lineages in molecular phylogenetic analyses. Within Conus and Conasprella, we recognize 57 and 11 subgenera, respectively, that represent well-supported subgroupings within these genera, which we interpret as evidence of intrageneric distinctiveness. We allocate the 803 Recent species of Conidae listed as valid in the World Register of Marine Species into these four genera and 71 subgenera, with an estimate of the confidence for placement of species in these taxonomic categories based on whether molecular or radula and/or shell data were used in these determinations. Our proposed classification effectively departs from previous schemes by (1) limiting the number of accepted genera, (2) retaining the majority of species within the genus Conus and (3) assigning members of these genera to species groups/subgenera to enable the effective communication of these groups, all of which we hope will encourage acceptance of this scheme.”

 

 

 


 

September 2014.

 

Five new conus described from Cape Verde islands by Tiziano Cossignani and Ramiro Fiadeiro in Malacologia 84.

Africonus umbelinae, Africonus calhetinensis, Africonus docensis, Africonus  gonsalensis, Africonus nelsontiagoi.

 

umbelinae_2014_holotype.jpg

calhetinensis_2014_holotype.jpg

docensis_2014_holotype.jpg

Africonus umbelinae

Africonus calhetinensis

Africonus docensis

 

gonsalensis_2014_holotype.jpg

nelsontiagoi_2014_holotype.jpg

Africonus gonsalensis

Africonus nelsontiagoi

 

 


 

August 2014.

 

New cone Conus conco from Marquesas published by N. Puillandre and 8 co authors in the on line magazine: Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 80 (2014) 186–192.

 

conco_2014_holotype.jpg

Conus conco holotype

 

Journal webpage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ympev

 

August 2014.

Availability of new book

Conus of the Southeastern United States and Caribbean Alan J. Kohn ISBN: 9780691135380

 

AlanKohn boo.gif

 

This beautifully illustrated book identifies 53 valid species of the southeastern United States and the Caribbean, a region that supports a diverse but taxonomically challenging group of Conus. Introductory chapters cover the evolution and phylogeny of the genus, and notes on methodology are provided. Detailed species accounts describe key identification features, taxonomy, distribution, ecology, toxicology, life history, and evolutionary relationships. The book includes more than 2,100 photos of shells on 109 splendid color plates;

 

 

 

 

For more information : http://press.princeton.edu/titles/10229.html


 


 

July 2014.

Six new cones from Brazil published in Xenophora Taxonomy 4 by Ed Petuch and Robert Myers

 

hazinorum_holotype.jpg

mariaodeteae_holotype.jpg

tonisii_holotype.jpg

hazinorum holotype

mariaodeteae holotype

tonisii holotype

 

damasomonteiroi_holotype.jpg

marinae_holotype.jpg

pomponeti_holotype.jpg

damasomonteiroi holotype

marinae holotype

pomponeti holotype

 

For more information www.xenophora.org

 

June 2014.

New deep water cone from Curacao described by M. G. Harasewych in Nautilus 128(2)

Attenuiconus marileeae

 

marileeae_holotype.jpg

A. marileeae holotype

 

 

May 2014.

Four new cones from Cape Verde Islands described by Tiziano Cossignani and Ramiro Fiadeiro in Malacologia 83. (www.malacologia.org).

Africonus marcocastellazzii and A. cossignani from Maio ; Africonus morroensis and A. antoniaensis from Boavista.

 

antoniaensis_holotype.jpg

cossignanii_holotype.jpg

A.antoniaensis

A.cossignani

 

marcocastellazzii_holotype.jpg

morroensis_holotype.jpg

A.marcocastellazzii

A.morroensis

 

April 2014.

Three papers published in Xenophora Taxonomy V3 with descriptions of new cones.

For more information www.xenophora.org

New cone from Fiji, described by Monnier & Limpalaër

santinii- Holotype MNHN.jpg

santinii holotype

 

 

Three new cones from Cape Verde Islands described by Afonso & Tenorio

 

condei_holotype_2014.jpg

gonsaloi_holotype_2014.jpg

santanaensis_holotype_2014.jpg

condei holotype

gonsaloi holotype

santanaensis holotype

 


 

Eleven new cones described by Ed Petuch and Robert Myers from Brasil and Caribbean.

 

arawak_holotype_2014.jpg

berschaueri_holotype_2014.jpg

coltrorum_holotype_2014.jpg

arawak holotype

berschaueri holotype

coltrorum holotype

 

ericmonnieri_holotype_2014.jpg

henriquei_holotype_2014.jpg

herndli_holotype_2014.jpg

ericmonnieri holotype

henriquei holotype

herndli holotype

 

honkerorum_holotype_2014.jpg

ogum_holotype_2014.jpg

patriceae_holotype_2014.jpg

honkerorum holotype

ogum holotype

patriceae holotype

 

simonei_holotype_2014.jpg

poremskii_holotype_2014.jpg

poremskii holotype

simonei holotype

 


 

 

February  2014.

Ten new cones described in Malacologia 82 (www.malacologia.org)

Tiziano Cossignani describes in Italian a series of new cones from Boavista and Sal in the Cape Verde Islands.

 

antonioi_holotype_2014.jpg

bernardinoi_holotype_2014.jpg

cagarralensis_holotype_2014.jpg

antonioi holotype

bernardinoi holotype

cagarralensis holotype

 

calabroi_holotype_2014.jpg

diegoi_holotype_2014.jpg

joserochoi_holotype_2014.jpg

calabroi holotype

diegoi holotype

joserochoi holotype

 

salletae_holotype_2014.jpg

silviae_holotype_2014.jpg

salletae holotype

silviae holotype

 

wandae_holotype_2014.jpg

zinhoi_holotype_2014.jpg

wandae holotype

zinhoi holotype

 

 

 

 

 

Cossignani also describes  Jaspidiconus alexandremonteiroi from E Nicaragua

 

alexandremonteiroi_holotype_2014.jpg

alexandremonteiroi holotype

 

 

January 2014.

Three new cones described in Xenophora Taxonomy supplement 2

For more information www.xenophora.org

 

Two cones from Cape Verde Islands are described by phylogenetic, radular and morphological comparison.  Africonus swinneni from Boavista is compared with A. borgesi, A. luquei and A.delanoyae.

Africonus fiadeiroi from Derrubado is compared with A. salreiensis and A. delanoyae.

 

swinneni_holotype_2014_1.jpg

fiadeiroi_holotype_2014_1.jpg

A.      swinneni holotype

A.      fiadeiroi holotype

 


 

 

A third cone Profundiconus stahlschmidti is described form Sulawesi, Indonesia by Manuel Tenorio and John Tucker.

 

stahlschmidti_holotype_1.jpgA small shell 6 to 13mm found in shell grit. It is a challenge to similar species for comparison other than P. pacificus and juveniles of P. scopulicola and M. cylindraceus.

 

Profudiconus stahlschmidti holotype.

 

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This page was last updated in December 2014.  The contents of this website remain the copyright of Paul Kersten. Parts of the website may not published on any website other than www.theConeCollector.com .