Mystery white cone shell from seller in Florida

[JackSullivan]

I just spent $10 on this 4 inch (~100 mm) shell without identification from a seller in the Florida Panhandle. It is obviously real, as shown by the photos. What got me interested in this is the pronounced blue coloration around the siphonal canal. I had originally thought that this coloration was caused by pigments in the cone material (aragonite) but I'm leaning more toward the observation that aragonite can crystallize in a range of colors, including blue. This is a genetic trait as the deposition of calcium, caerbonate & other ions by the mantle are all controlled by the animal's DNA.

[wolfi]

Hi JackSullivan,
reminds me of Conus virgo.
Kind regards: wolf

[JackSullivan]

Hi JackSullivan,
reminds me of Conus virgo.
Kind regards: wolf

Hi Wolf & thanks

I took a look at the biggest Conus virgo in my collection, from Guam. Length 91.5 mm, so it's close to this "4 inch" cone. Also pronounced bluing at the siphon, more like a near-black indigo. The apex is very similar in shape. Color is a light tan rather than white, but not knowing its history its natural appearance is not known. So i think you nailed this one!

Attached is an image from the Google image link on the WoRMS site that is almost identical to my mystery shell.

Conus virgo has a wide distribution, from East Africa, the Red Sea & the Indo-Pacific into French Polynesia. Not an uncommon species!

Many thanks & best regards

Jack

[meerameera]

hi,
i also have the same one , but no coloration around siphonal canal