Lynceus Cone Shell

With its distinctive orange- rusty brown markings encircling its form the Lynceus Cone is a great species for any collection.

A large family, the Conidae number over 300 species and are possibly the most collected after the cowrie shell group.

They are very successful predators feeding on worms, molluscs and fish.

As with all cone shells, they have a highly developed system by which they are able to inject poisonous barbs into their prey prior to feeding.

They can sting humans if handled live and this can cause paralysis, heart failure and even death, so probably best to take a wide berth if you should encounter one in the wild.

This species (conus lynceus) is common to the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific.

Size: approx 6-8 cm   (2.5 - 3 inches)