Andrew,

With reference to your comment on type info...

"Maybe it would be better if more shell books that are used for
identification had photos of holotypes or at least reference the paper or
the text where the photo and description of the holotype is."

I use "A Catalogue of Nomenclature and Taxonomy in the Living Conidae
1758-1998" by R. M Filmer as a comprehensive guide to type (and original
description citations).  Sadly, it does not have photos and is expensive
(about $60-70 for a paperback with no plates or illustrations).

Coomans, Moolenbeek & Wils did publish illustrations of types for living
cones in a series of articles running from 1979 to 1986 in Basteria.  They
stopped at the letter e.  There is a set of these articles offered for sale
now by a european bookseller for $70.

For a free source of non-illustrated info on cones, check out.

http://www.biology.washington.edu/akohn/

This is a search engine for a list of cone descriptions (living and fossil)
from 1758-2000.  There are other internet resources that offer illustrations
of cones, but do not use type specimens.

Warm regards,

Bill

William J. Fenzan
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