Common Name

"Barthelemy’s Cone"

Status

Regarded as a valid species.

Type Locality

Islands of Chagos Archipelago, (Indian Ocean)

Distribution

Mascarenes, Comores, Seychelles, Chagos and Maldives, probably also Sri Lanka; Christmas Is. and Cocos (Keeling) Is. (S. E. Indian Ocean)

Maximum Reported Size

90 mm

Description

Medium-sized to large, moderately solid to solid; Maldive shells smaller. Last whorl ventricosely conical to conical; outline convex at adapical fourth, straight below, occasionally slightly concave centrally; shells from Christmas Is. and Cocos (Keeling) Is. narrower than those from other areas (Singleton, pers. comm., 1993). Siphonal fasciole prominent in larger shells. Shoulder broadly carinate to carinate. Spire low, of moderate height in Maldive specimens (); outline usually sigmoid, sometimes nearly straight. Larval shell projecting, maximum diameter 0.7-0.8 mm. First 4-7 postnuclear whorls tuberculate, late whorls broadly carinate. Teleoconch sutural ramps almost flat, grading to deeply concave in late whorls, with 2 increasing to 4-9 spiral grooves that are often weak on latest ramps; prominent subsutural ridge as strong as or stronger than shoulder carina. Last whorl with weak to distinct, variably spaced spiral ribs and ribbons on basal fourth and with distinct to obsolete spiral striae to shoulder.

Ground colour white. Last whorl with variably broad, orangish to reddish or violet brown spiral bands usually leaving interrupted to solid narrow white bands centrally and at base. Spiral rows of blackish brown dots, spots, bars, and blotches from base to shoulder; number and arrangement of rows and markings within rows highly variable. Shells with immaculate last whorls almost completely overlaid with blending shades of orange to violet brown intergrade with shells that have their last whorls prominently mottled with white and black. In Maldives, last whorl lighter orange-pink. Siphonal fasciole white to pale orange. Larval whorls white. First 2-4 teleoconch sutural ramps immaculate white or cream; following ramps with light brown to black radial blotches usually extending over outer margin. Aperture white to bluish white.

Periostracum brown to olive-brown, rather thick, slightly translucent to opaque, with closely spaced fine axial and wrinkled spiral ridges.

Animal mottled light and dark brownish pink (Couacaud, pers. comm., 1988).

Shell Morphometry

L	42-84 mm
RW	0.23-0.73 g/mm
RD	0.55-0.65
PMD	0.82-0.91
RSH	0.06-0.12

Habitat & Habits

In 10-30 m, inhabiting sand and rock substrata.

Discussion

C. barthelemyi can be separated from C. gauguini; it may also be confused with C. gubernator from the Mascarenes and Amirantes.

References

• J. Conch. Paris, 9: p. 285, not figured, (1862, J. Conch, Paris, 10: p. 46, pl. 1, fig. 12.