Common Name

"Black and White Cone"

Status

Regarded as a valid species. There seem to be two distinct forms considered to be this species (see pictures)! Much confusion between blanfordianus-zapatosensis. The former is larger and much more rounded in shape. It has a less angulate shoulder and a lower spire. It has paler brown spots rather than darker rectangular spots on the body whorl. Despites these differences blanfordianus, C. zapatosensis, C. sertacinctus, C. zebra nahoniaraensis, C. solomonensis, C. zebra and C. stramineus could be considered to be all in the "stramineus complex" (Pers. comm. Mike Filmer, PK).

Type Locality

Not known

Distribution

Philippines and Papua New Guinea

Maximum Reported Size

34 mm light-coloured form; 50 mm dark-coloured form

Description

Light-coloured form (see Discussion) moderately small, moderately light to moderately solid. Last whorl conoid-cylindrical to ventricosely conical; outline convex at adapical third, less so below; left side convex near base. Aperture wider below centre than near shoulder. Shoulder angulate to subangulate. Spire of low to moderate height, outline deeply concave. Teleoconch sutural ramps flat, with 1-2 increasing to 4 wide spiral grooves. Last whorl with axially striate spiral grooves from base to centre; intervening ribbons grade to ribs near base. Dark-coloured form (see Discussion) medium sized and moderately solid. Last whorl more conical than in other form. Shoulder angulate. Spire of moderate height; outline concave, with late spire whorls more raised than in light-coloured form. Larval shell of 2 or more whorls, maximum diameter about 0.8 mm. Teleoconch sutural ramps with 1 increasing to 6-8 spiral grooves; ribs between variably broad. Last whorl with spiral grooves to centre or shoulder; intervening ribbons grade to ribs below shoulder.

Ground colour white. In light-coloured shells, last whorl with about 15 spiral rows of brown spots that may fuse axially; markings somewhat concentrated below shoulder, and on each side of centre. Larval whorls and adjacent postnuclear sutural ramps white. Following ramps with brown radial markings. Aperture white. In dark-coloured shells, spiral rows consists of larger dark brown spots and bars; markings sparse within a spiral band below centre. Additional fine brown dots and axial dashes on subcentral band and sometimes at shoulder. Larval whorls and adjacent postnuclear sutural ramps white to light brown. Radial markings on following ramps large and dark brown. Aperture white, becoming orange deep within in large specimens.

Habitat & Habits

Reported from 20-100 m.

Discussion

C. blanfordianus resembles C. collisus, C. spectrum, and C. jickelii. The latter species has a more conical last whorl (PMD 0.83-0.89) and its aperture is narrower, of more uniform width. The holotype of C. blanfordianus is lost. The specimen figured by Coomans et al. (1982) does not appear to be conspecific with the specimen depicted by Crosse. Two groups of shells correspond to Crosse's original figure): Moderately small and light shells from Papua New Guinea and Philippines and medium sized shells with darker and coarser pattern from Philippines. Which of these forms is more similar to the type of C. blanfordianus cannot be unequivocally decided by the original figure. It is uncertain as well, whether both forms belong to the same species or not. The smaller shells are in better accordance with Crosse's original description; therefore, we assign the larger shells only provisionally to C. blanfordianus. The latter shells are very similar to C. zapatosensis.

References

• J. Conch. Paris, 15: p. 66, pl. 2, fig. 1.