Tessellated Cone Shell, Conus tessulatus

Tesselated Cone Shell, Conus tessulatus.  Shell collected out of a heavily rocked beach 10 miles north of Buena Vista, Baja California Sur, February 2018. Size: 3.0 cm (1.2 inches) x 2.1 cm (0.8 inches). Identification courtesy of Bob Hillis, Ivins, Utah.

The Tessellate Cone, Conus tessulatus (Born, 1778), is a gastropod mollusk that is a member of the Conidae Family of Cones. They are also known as the Checkered Cone and in Mexico as cono a cuadro. It is one of the few Indo-Pacific Cones that are found along the coasts of Mexico. The shell is known for their beauty and they have a steep, pointed spire. The exterior of the shell is white to light yellow, with dark yellow or orange, rectangular, blotches spiraling down the body whorl. Tessellate Cones reach a maximum of 8.2 cm (3.2 inches) in length and 5.7 cm (2.3 inches) in height.

Tesselate Cones are found within sand and gravel substrate in the intertidal zone to depths of 78 m (255 feet). They range from Africa, across the Indian and Pacific Oceans, to the West Coast of Mexico and Central America. On the Baja Peninsula, they are limited to the East Cape Region of Baja California Sur.

The Tesselated  Cone Shell is very similar to and easily confused with the Edaphus Cone Shell, Conus edaphus (larger blotches, thinner profile).

Synonyms include Conus tessulatus, Cucullus pavimentum, Lithoconus tessulatus, and Tesselliconus tessulatus.