James & Andrew,

A paper by Danker Vink (La Conchiglia, 198-199, Sept-Oct 1985, Conidae of
the Atlantic, Part V, pp. 8-15) provides information on both Conus
sennottorum Rehder & Abbott, 1951 and Conus largillierti Kiener, 1848.

The quick way I tell the two apart is to look at the spire shape and degree
of blotching (as Andrew noted).  C. sennottorum has a very concave spire, C
largillierti has a straighter spire profile.

I have six specimens of C. sennottorum and three specimens of C.
largillierti.  For this sample, the differences seem to be constant.

In my opinion, you have a specimen of C. largillierti.  Not a bad thing,
because this species (or form of C. anabathrum Crosse) is harder to obtain
than C. sennottorum.  I know of three populations of C. largillierti: one
off Charleston, South Carolina; one off north-east Florida and one off
Yucatan in the Gulf of Mexico.  C. sennottorum, to my knowledge, has only
been reported from off Yucatan to the Florida Keys.

Let me know if you need more info.

Warm regards,

Bill

William J. Fenzan
401 Sinclair St.
Norfolk, VA  23505-4359
USA

wjf401(at)earthlink.net

Phone: (757) 489-4736



> That is what I would call Conus larglierti.  (I hope I spelled that
> correctly)  I pronounce it (lar-glee-heir-tie).  I don't have my
> references with me since I am in the process of moving.  I do remember
> the Compendium as having an error with its illustration of C.
> sennottorum.  What I was calling C. sennotorum is more of a pear shaped
> shell with no blotches of color like C. larglierti.  I remember seeing a
> C. larglierti with data indicating that it came from Yucutan.
>