Dear Cecil & Bill,

After looking at the picture, I would say the best name for your specimen
is: Conus consors Sowerby I, 1833, forma turschi da Motta1985.  Conus
turschi was originally described from Thailand as a separate species.  Over
time the shell was found elsewhere.  In the Philippines, specimens of both
typical C. consors and the C. turschi form both turn up.

In my opinion, your shell is not Conus flavus.  I have a few specimens of
that species and all have the deep orange aperture color you mention.  I
also have several Conus ochroleucus, forma tmetus (formerly C. pilkeyi) and
they all have orange apertures, too.  Also, the forma tmetus has not been
reported from the Philippines at all.  Unusally, it is reported from the
Solomon Is.  I have specimens from there and also Fiji.  Contact me
privately if you want more information, jpgs of specimens in my collection,
etc.

For Bill Frank:  I think the answer to your question is unfathomable.  :-)

Warm regards,

Bill

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

wjf401(at)earthlink.net

Phone: (757) 489-4736

----- Original Message -----
From: Cecil Bankston <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, April 23, 2002 9:09 PM
Subject: Identity of Cone Labelled "pilkeyi"


> My specimen came labeled as Conus pilkeyi.
>
> Shells of the Philippines pictures a shell resembling this one, labels
> it pilkeyi, and states it has a deep orange aperture. Author's
> corrections indicated the pictured shell actually was flavus. My
> specimen has a pure white aperture.
>
> Manual of the Living Conidae states pilkeyi is a synonym of a subspecies
> of ochroleucus: tmetus.  Its pictures of flavus most closely resemble my
> specimen, but it also describes a yellow to orange aperture.
>
> Please view my specimen at the following URL:
>
> http://members.cox.net/cbankston/ShellImages.html
>
> What is the real identity of my specimen?
> --
> Cecil N. Bankston
> Baton Rouge, LA USA
>