Hello Richard,

I have read with interest both sections of your small cones identification request.

Here is what I have to add;

Small Cones 1- I agree with the juvenile tulipa, circumcisus and axelrodi conclusions. I do not however agree with the conus granum id on photo number 2. I believe this to be c. guidopoppei, perhaps slightly subadult. If the shell were a bit more inflated one could make the case that it could be a juvenile c. fischoederi.

Small Cones 2- In your first photo, this particular shell could still be axelrodi. I have seen specimens with patterning to some degree, and flammules on the shoulder such as your specimen. While very juvenile magus do resemble this shell in the photo to some extent, I would id this shell as axelrodi.
               In your other two photos, the second is a bit blurry and thus I cannot distinguish it's details to reach any id conclusion. Not a bad thing by any means, I am no camera buff. Your third photo though, this particular shell looks like c. frigidus. The slight band in the body whorl and overall ornamentation of said whorl especially at this size (21 mm) makes me lean towards c. fridigus. I have several examples of this shell myself at this stage.

What I have experienced in many years of collecting conus is that shells at a juvenile stage often are mistaken for a new species, or are often mis-identified because the early shells may not look even close to what the adult shell would look like. An example I see often are c. corallinus often being mistaken for juvenile c. geographus. A few people have even identified sub adult c. geographus as c. eldredi even though the locale is totally different.

Kindly,

Lyle Therriault

P.S. How much does a new  tangle net cost these days?

Lyle Therriault,
Property Manager
Cone Shell Collector
Toyota Truck Fan
Hunter-Gatherer
Artist, Gardener, Consumer
Creative and Frugal soul
Purveyor of Peace and Quiet

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