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Full Version: Seller mislabeled Conus mercator?
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In my study of the Senegal endemic Conidae I resorted my growing collection into separate compartmented plastic boxes by species: C. mercator, C. cacao so far. In the process I gained a familiarity with the different species by size, shape & pigmentation pattern. One shell stuck out as being likely mislabeled by the seller as C. mercator from the Dakar area. On examination, this shell appears instead to be a small example of C. cacao, which is found 80 kms south of Dakar in the Thies region of the country. I'm throwing it out here for comment.
Conus cacao is not officially recognized as a species. This specimen does resemble the form called cacao, but there are also intermediate forms known.