Gladiator Cone Shell, Conus gladiator

Gladiator Cone, Conus gladiator. Shell collected off the beach in the greater Los Cabos area, Baja California Sur, April 2010. Size: 2.8 cm (1.1 inches) x 1.5 cm (0.6 inches).

Gladiator Cone, Conus gladiator. hell collected off the beach in the greater Los Cabos area, Baja California Sur, March 2011. Size: 4.1 cm (1.6 inches) x 2.5 cm (1.0 inch).

Phylogeny: The Gladiator Cone, Conus gladiator (Broderip, 1833), is a gastropod mollusk that is a member of the Conidae Family of Cone Shells. The genus Conus is one of eight genera in this family, and there are eight hundred ten species in this genus. They are known in Mexico as Cono Gladiador.

Description: The Gladiator Cone shell is cone-shaped, with a low spire, and minor coronation at the shoulder. The shell’s exterior  is brown, with darker, fine, revolving lines, a white body band, and white blotches. The aperture is white, with brown showing through. Their dark brown periostracum is thick and rough, almost to the point of being “hairy”. Gladiator Cones reach a maximum of 4.8 cm (1.9 inches) in length and 2.9 cm (1.2 inches) in height.

Habitat and Distribution: Gladiator Cones are found under rocks and ledges in the intertidal zone, and to depths up to 20 m (65 feet). They are a subtropical to tropical Eastern Pacific species that are found in Mexican waters of the Pacific Ocean from from Magdalena Bay, Baja California Sur south to Guatemala. They are found in  the Gulf of California south of San Carlos, Sonora.

Ecology and Behavior: Gladiator Cones are a poorly studied and understood species. There is very limited documentation of their diet, predation, reproduction or ecosystem interactions. Other species in Family Conidae are predators that feed primarily on worms, mollusks, and fish.  They are gonochoric and reproduce sexually, with internal fertilization. There is no mention in the available literature of them engaging in any types of parasitic, commensal, or symbiotic relationships. From a conservation perspective the Gladiator Cone is current considered to be of Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations.

Synonyms: Conus (Monteiroconus) gladiator, Conus cibielii, Conus evelynae, Conus gloynei, and Gladiconus gladiator.