Forums SEASHELL-COLLECTOR

This 10mm cone is one of three tiny cones taken in coral rubble off of Kauai.  I thought them to be C. abbreviatus juveniles due to the brown dots and bluish color but I posted them on another site and they said it was C. sponsalis.  It doesn't look like sponsalis I've seen online.

This specimen is the only one I could get clean enough to see the markings well.
<img src="http://shutter06.pictures.aol.com/data/pictures/20/009/71/A7/BC/A6/iaijkLrxxNTtrxTWlgVSYb548AJSyXkZ0300.jpg" alt="http://shutter06.pictures.aol.com/data/pictures/20/009/71/A7/BC/A6/iaijkLrxxNTtrxTWlgVSYb548AJSyXkZ0300.jpg" style="border:0" />

Hi there. Yes, it is Conus sponsalis and the bluish colour and small brown dots identify it as form nanus. According to Rockel, Korn & Kohn specimens from Hawaii and S.E.Polynesia consistently occur in this form. Incidentally, some authors consider nanus to be a true species but intergrades are known.
Dave