Mahogany Cone Shell, Conasprella mahogani

Mahogany Cone Shell, Conasprella mahogani. Shell collected off the beach at Punta Chivato, Baja California Sur, January 2023. Size:  3.3 cm (1.3 inches) x 1.6 cm (0.6 inches). Collection, photograph and Identification courtesy of Colin Campbell, DVM, Punta Chivato, Baja California Sur.

Mahogany Cone Shell, Conasprella mahogani. Shell collected off the beach at Punta Chivato, Baja California Sur, January 2023. Size:  4.3 cm (1.7 inches) x 1.9 cm (0.8 inches). Collection, photograph and Identification courtesy of Colin Campbell, DVM, Punta Chivato, Baja California Sur.

Phylogeny: The Mahogany Cone, Conasprella mahogani (Reeve, 1843), is a gastropod mollusk that is a member of the Conidae Family of Cone Shells. The genus Conasprella is one of eight genera in the Conidae Family, and there are one hundred seventy-six species in this genus. They are known in Mexico as Cono Color Caoba.

Description: The Mahogany Cone Shell is cone-shaped, with a rounded shoulder and a fairly high, sharply pointed, spire. The shell is slender in profile and the aperture is narrow. The exterior of the shell is white with numerous, encircling, rows of mahogany or brown dots on the body whorl. The body whorl and spire also have mahogany or brown streaks or blotches. The interior is white. Mahogany Cone Shells reach a maximum of 4.8 cm (1.9 inches) in length and 2.4 cm (1.0 inch) in height.

The Mahogany Cone was historically  considered to be a subspecies of the similar looking Fine-spot Cone, Conasprella ximenes (Gray, 1839). Mahogany Cone shells tend to be slenderer and darker than Fine-spot Cones. Also, the whorls on the Mahogany Cone’s spire are more convex. The Fine-spot Cone has a purple interior at the aperture. Because the separation of the two species occurred somewhat recently, much of the depth and range data for this shell is confused with the historic data for the Fine-spot Cone Shell.

Habitat and Distribution: Mahogany Cones are found on sand, from the intertidal zone to depths up to 80 m (262 feet). They are a subtropical to tropical Eastern Pacific species that are found in all Mexican waters of the Pacific Ocean with the exception that they are absent from along the west coast of the Baja Peninsula.

Ecology and Behavior: Mahogany Cones are predators that feed primarily on marine worms. They are gonochoric and reproduce sexually,  with internal fertilization. Their engagement in any type of commensal, parasitic, or symbiotic relationship has not been formally documented. From a conservation perspective the Mahogany Cone is currently considered to be of Least Concern, with stable, widely distributed populations. Cone Shells are venomous and capable of stinging humans and should be handled with great care if live organisms are present.

Synonyms: Conasprella (Ximeniconus) mahogani, Conus mahogani, Conasprella ximenes, and Ximeniconus mahogani.