Conus sophus

Conus sophus (Olsson, 1932)

Descrizione e caratteristiche:

Shell small, broad, with a moderately high spire; protoconch of 3 to 3-5 smooth turns, forming an elongate, projecting nucleus; post-nuclear whorls 6, their upper or spire-faces slightly concave, smooth, except for the concave growth-lines; sutures distinct and carinated by the angled shoulder of the preceding turn; shoulder angled and carinated; body-whorl below the shoulder about twice the height of the spire, slightly contracted about the base and with a narrowed, slightly twisted anterior canal; body-whorl smooth above, below with 12, encircling etched grooves which widen below and form rather broad, even bands, except at the lower part of the anterior canal where they are irregular; aperture linear ; growth-lines retarctive at the shoulder ⁽¹⁾.

Length, 15,5 mm.; diameter, 7,75 mm.; aperture, 11,0 mm.

Length, 16,5 mm.; diameter, 9,00 mm.; aperture, 12,5 mm.

Remarks.

The high, projecting nucleus is a peculiar feature of this small cone. Somewhat similar protoconchs have been seen on well-preserved specimens of Woodring's Conus imitator lius from Bowden but in that form, the nucleus is probably not quite so long and the early post-nuclear whorls are more strongly sculptured. In sophus, the spire-whorls are perfectly smooth except for growth-lines. According to Woodring, imitator lius differ from typical imitator in the absence of tubercles on the early whorls but in our specimens of this subspecies from Bowden, there are small tubercles and spirals on the first, second and sometimes the third whorl. In imitator imitator, the tubercles are stronger and generally occur on half of the spire-whorls ⁽¹⁾.

Conus sophus is believed to be mature as there are no frag-irregular; aperture linear; growth lines retractive at the shoulder.