Caribbean cones

[david touitou]

Dear Karen,

I have been there two times yet in 2000-2002 while I was living in Martinique. Both were NOT shell trips and I was the only collector and diver on board, meaning that I had to rent 2-3 tanks and deal with them for the 10 days trips... By the way I gathered a lot of informations on the net and knew some info. about cone habitats. I managed to get my hands on live <i>Conus dominicanus</i> (night), live and fresh dead<i> Conus pseudoaurantius </i>(day), beached Conus<i> beddomei/couderti</i>?, <i>C. granulatus </i>beached and <i>C. ermineus </i>live (night).

<u>Unfortunately</u> I did scuba 3 times in St Vincent but did not find any <i>C. cedonulli</i>.

You may have a look to one of my articles :
<a href="http://www.seashell-collector.com/articles/2005/grenadines/Grenadinesbis.htm" target="_blank"><!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.seashell-collector.com/articles/2005/grenadines/Grenadinesbis.htm">http://www.seashell-collector.com/artic ... nesbis.htm</a><!-- m --></a>

<u>Here are informations you have to know :</u>
- <i>Conus cedonulli </i>and <i>dominicanus</i> feeds on fire worms and live burried in the Sand during the day time. They may be found at night on the sand, rubble or grass fields. They are not coral related shells.
- Depth may be from shallow water to 25/30 meters usually, and you will have to scuba at night.
I found my <i>dominicanus</i>, in 6 meters, 12 meters, 18 and 19 meters crawling on the sand with grass.
- I did not find any special "hot spot" though. My advice : when you arrive in a bay, look during the day time for sand/grass areas at depth from 6 to 20 meters and scuba there at night. Look carefully at the border of grass fields, <i>dominicanus</i> seem to prefer the borders of the grass fields.

Hope this first post will help you.
Concerning the ship and company I have to info.
Feel free to ask me more,

sincerely,
David

by the way shelling there is quite fantastic and these shells are part of my favourites...

<img src="http://www.seashell-collector.com/collection/cone%20caraibes/dominicanus525.jpg" alt="http://www.seashell-collector.com/collection/cone%20caraibes/dominicanus525.jpg" style="border:0" />
<img src="http://www.seashell-collector.com/collection/cone%20caraibes/dominicanus491.jpg" alt="http://www.seashell-collector.com/collection/cone%20caraibes/dominicanus491.jpg" style="border:0" />  <span class="petit">--Last edited by David Touitou  on 2006-08-16 07:27:50 --</span>