Confused?

by Richard Salisbury

Shown above are two of Guam's most common cones. Conus eburneus Hwass in Brugiere, 1792 (left) and Conus pulicarius Hwass in Brugiere, 1792 (right). These cones are often collected together on sand in shallow water. Their similar color and pattern have often confused the new shell collector. C. pulicarius or the fly-spotted cone can be distinguished by its rounded shoulders and bumpy or undulate spire. C. eburneus on the other hand has rather square shoulders and a flat, smooth spire. Occasionally specimens of pulicarius have large black spots which run together forming black zig-zag lines down the shell. This form is often called Conus fustigatus.