Genuanoconus genuanus ( Linnaeus, 1758 )

Tenorio, Manuel J., Abalde, Samuel, Pardos-Blas, José R. & Zardoya, Rafael, 2020, Taxonomic revision of West African cone snails (Gastropoda: Conidae) based upon mitogenomic studies: implications for conservation, European Journal of Taxonomy 663 (663), pp. 1-89 : 48-49

Genuanoconus genuanus ( Linnaeus, 1758)

Fig. 6M

Conus genuanus Linnaeus, 1758: 714 .

Conus genuanus var. papilio Linnaeus, 1767: 1168 .

Cucullus papilio Röding, 1798: 41 .

Cucullus sphinx Röding, 1798: 42 .

Conus fasciatus Perry, 1811 : pl. XXIV, no. 3.

Conus genuanus – Monteiro et al. 2004: 48, pl. 17.

Material examined

Lectotype

Representation of lectotype in Rumphius (1705: pl. 34, fig. G) ( Kohn 1963). Type locality not stated.

Other material

CABO VERDE • 1 spec., 50.2 mm; São Vicente Island, Praia de Laginha ; 10 Apr. 2016; S. Delgado and P. Vasconcelos leg.; GenBank mitochondrion, partial genome: KY864974 ; MNCN 15.05/78547 ( Fig. 6M ) .

Geographical distribution

West Africa, from Senegal to Angola including Cabo Verde Archipelago and São Tomé e Príncipe. There are occasional reports of live specimens found on the Canary Islands ( Bettocchi 2018), where it is exceedingly rare.

Conservation status in IUCN Red List

Least concern.

Remarks

This is a typical West African species, being the only representative of the genus Genuanoconus . The different names available in the literature have all been synonymised with G. genuanus . The name foscaclaudiae Assi, 2010 applied to a mere form of G. genuanus is unavailable according to the ICZN articles 45.5 and 45.6 (infrasubspecific; introduced as form after 1960). As discussed in Abalde et al. (2019), the previous placement of G. genuanus in the genus Kalloconus by Puillandre et al. (2014) was due to a misidentification of a sample in the original work ( Cunha et al. 2005). A mitogenomic analysis clearly indicates that Genuanoconus is not a synonym of Kalloconus but a distantly related genus. Genuanoconus genuanus has an specialized vermivorous diet, preying on amphinomid polychaetes (fireworms) such as Hermodice carunculata (Pallas, 1766) ( Rolán 2005) . On the phylogenetic tree in Abalde et al. (2019), G. genuanus is recovered as sister to Rhombiconus imperialis Linnaeus, 1758 , another specialised amphinomid polychaete worm eater from the Pacific Ocean. A novel bioactive guanine derivative named genuanine has been isolated from the venom duct of G. genuanus . This finding indicates that not only conopeptides, but also small molecules contribute to the activity of cone snail venoms ( Neves et al. 2015).

Figures

Fig. 6 (opposite page). A. Conus navarroi navarroi Rolán, 1986, holotype, 16 mm (MNCN 15.05/1008). B. Africonus angeluquei Tenorio, Abalde & Zardoya, 2018 (= perrineae Cossignani & Fiadeiro, 2018), holotype, 30.0 mm (MNCN 15.05/78710). C. Conus raulsilvai Rolán, Monteiro & Fernandes, 1998, holotype, 19.7 mm (MNCN 15.05/27230). D. Conus regonae Rolán & Trovão, 1990, holotype, 32.7 mm (MNCN 15.05/1092). E. Conus roeckeli Rolán, 1980, holotype, 13.2 mm (MNCN 15.05/1049). F. Africonus salletae Cossignani, 2014, holotype, 15.5 mm (MMM). G. Africonus santaluziensis Cossignani & Fiadeiro, 2015, paratype, 28.1 mm (Paul Kersten coll.). H. Africonus santanaensisAfonso & Tenorio, 2014, holotype, 17.1 mm (MNCN 15.05/60118). I. Conus saragasae Rolán, 1986, holotype, 21.8 mm (MNCN 15.05/1009). J. Africonus verdensis (Trovão, 1979), 22.5 mm (MNCN 15.05/78864). K. Conus vulcanus Tenorio & Afonso, 2004, holotype, 25.2 mm (MNCN 15.05/46652). L. Chelyconus ermineus (Born, 1778), 54.3 mm (MNCN 15.05/80014). M. Genuanoconus genuanus (Linnaeus, 1758), 50.2 mm (MNCN 15.05/78547). N. Kalloconus ateralbus(Kiener, 1850),40.1 mm(MNCN 15.05/79649). O. Kalloconus byssinus (Röding, 1798), 56.4 mm (MNCN 15.05/90429). Scale bars = 10 mm.