Spider Web Cone Shell, Conasprella lucida

Spider Web Cone Shell, Conasprella lucida. Underwater photograph taken in coastal waters off San Diego, San Diego, California. Size: 4.2 cm (1.7 inches) x 1.9 cm (0.8 inches).Photograph and identification courtesy of Bob Hillis, Ivins, Utah.

The Spider Web Cone, Conasprella lucida (W. Wood, 1828), is a gastropod mollusk that is a member of the Conidae Family of Cones,. They are  known in Mexico as cono lucido. The shell has a rounded shoulder and the spire varies in height from low to high. The exterior of the shell is white to pale violet with a brown web pattern wrapped around the shell. Most specimens have brown spots around the shoulder; many specimens have a series of brown blotches that form a band around the shell. The periostracum is tan colored. Spider Web Cones reach a maximum of 5.4 cm (2.1 inches) in length.

Spider Web Cones are found on coral, rocks, and sand from the intertidal zone to depths up to 41 m (135 feet). They feed primarily on polychaete worms. They are found in all Mexican waters of the Pacific including throughout the Sea of Cortez with a recent range extension northward to Southern California being attributed to El Niño events.

Synonyms include Conus lucidus, Conus reticulatus, Perplexiconus lucidus, and Ximeniconus lucidus.