Textile Cone

Appearance

Typical length of adults is about 9 cm to 10 cm. The maximum shell length for this species is 15 cm. The color pattern of its shell resembles a cellular automaton named Rule 30. The color of the shell is yellowish brown, with undulating longitudinal lines of brownness, interrupted by triangular white spaces. These last are irregularly disposed, but crowded at the shoulder, base and middle so as to form bands. The spire is similarly marked. The aperture is white.

Naming

* "Conus textile neovicarius" da Motta, 1982
⤷  "Conus textile vaulberti" Lorenz, 2012
⤷  "Conus textile dahlakensis" da Motta, 1982 : synonym of "Conus textile" Linnaeus, 1758
⤷  "Conus textile" var. "abbreviata" Dautzenberg, 1937: synonym of "Conus ammiralis" Linnaeus, 1758
⤷  "Conus textile" var. "euetrios" G. B. Sowerby III : synonym of "Conus textile" Linnaeus, 1758
⤷  "Conus textile" var. "loman" Dautzenberg, 1937 : synonym of "Conus textile" Linnaeus, 1758
⤷  "Conus textile" var. "ponderosa" Dautzenberg, 1932 : synonym of "Conus textile" Linnaeus, 1758
⤷  "Conus textile" var. "sulcata" G. B. Sowerby I, 1834 : synonym of "Conus retifer" Menke, 1829

Distribution

"C. textile" lives in the waters of the Red Sea, the tropical Indo-Pacific, off Australia, New Zealand, the Indian Ocean from eastern Africa to Hawaii, and French Polynesia.
In Australia, "C. textile" is more commonly found in northern Queensland, but sightings are increasingly found further south into New South Wales due to warmer ocean temperatures associated with climate change.

Behavior

The female lays several hundred eggs at a time, which hatch after about 16 or 17 days. After hatching, the larvae float around in the current for approximately 16 days. Afterward, they settle at the bottom of the ocean. By this point their length is about 1.5 mm.

Habitat

"C. textile" may be found in estuaries, on rocky shores and in rockpools. During the day they are usually buried in sand, and emerge to feed at night.

Food

"C. textile" is a carnivorous species, and uses a radula to inject a conotoxin to kill its prey. "C. textile" eats snails. The proboscis, the tip of which holds the harpoon-like radular tooth, is capable of being extended to any part of its own shell. The living animal is a risk to any person handling it who has not taken proper care to protect exposed skin. Several human deaths have been attributed to this species.