Conus arenatus
Apertural and abapertural views of shell of Conus arenatus Hwass in Bruguière, J.G., 1792
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Neogastropoda
Superfamily:	Conoidea
Family:	Conidae
Genus:	Conus
Species:	C. arenatus
Binomial name
Conus arenatus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792
Synonyms[1]
Conus (Puncticulis) arenatus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792 accepted, alternate representation Conus arenatus var. aequipunctata Dautzenberg, 1937 Conus arenatus var. granulosa Lamarck, 1822 Conus arenatus var. mesokatharos Tryon, 1884 Conus arenatus var. punctisminutissimis Lamarck, 1822 Conus arenatus var. undata Dautzenberg, 1937 (invalid: junior homonym of C. undatus Kiener, 1847) Conus armatus E. A. Smith, 1891 (presumably a lapsus for arenatus) Conus catus var. granulosa Dautzenberg, 1937 Cucullus arenosus Röding, 1798 Cucullus stercusmuscarum Röding, 1798 Puncticulis arenatus E. A. Smith, 1891 Puncticulis arenatus bizona Coomans, Moolenbeek & Wils, 1981 Puncticulis arenatus var. punctisminutissus Lamarck, 1822 Puncticulis arenatus var. undata Dautzenberg, 1937 Puncticulis arenatus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792

Conus arenatus, common name the sand-dusted cone, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.^[1]

These snails are predatory and venomous. They are capable of "stinging" humans, therefore live ones should be handled carefully or not at all.

Description

The size of the shell varies between 25 mm and 90 mm. The shell is stoutly turbinated, coronated on the spire. The color of the shell is white, sprinkled in a waved longitudinal manner with very small, close brown dots, sometimes forming indistinct bands. The aperture has usually a light flesh-color.^[2]

Distribution

This marine species is occurs in the Red Sea and in the Indo-Pacific; and off Australia (Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia). The species now also occurs in the Mediterranean off Israel, having invaded as a Lessepsian migrant through the Suez Canal.^[3]