Mark,
 
Although I am not an expert, I'll offer some information and observations
related to your questions:
 
1) The spire markings on three specimens of C. floridanus f. burryae from
different locations in the Florida Keys I have in my collection do appear
slightly darker than the reddish brown coloring of the body whorl. The
original description of C. floridanus f. burryae, however, does not
remark on any difference in the color of the body whorl compared to the
spire.  The critical difference in color between C. floridanus f. burryae
from the Keys and C. floridanus from elsewhere in Florida seems to be the
black coloring on the "tip of the base" (anterior end of the aperture).
 
2) Two of my three specimens have a lower spire height than the third,
however this third specimen was damaged and has a growth flaw that may
have influenced the spire shape.  The original description does not
remark on any difference in relative spire height between C. floridanus
and C. floridanus f. burrayae.  It does say, though, that "The whorls
also are slightly convex, differing noticibly from the flat sided whorls
of typical floridanus.  In my opinion, the lower spire height in your
specimen should cause you to compare it to C. floridanus f.
patglicksteinae Petuch,1987 (type lot found off Palm Beach, Fla.). Note:
I remember seeing an article (in H.S.N.?) by Deiter Roeckel that
discussed the possibility that C. aureolus Sowerby was an earlier name
for C. floridanus f. patglicksteinae.  If you bug me enough, I may be
tempted to look up the exact location of the article.
 
3)  From a quick review of references, It looks like at least Abbott,
Walls and Kaicher treat C. floridanus f. burryae as a form of C.
floridanus rather than a subspecies.  Petuch shows "(a full species?)"
after his reference to C. floridanus burryae.  Who has formally labelled
"burryae" as a subspecies - besides Clench in 1942?  Incidentally, Barry
Wilson in volume 2 of Australian Marine Shells (Odessy Publishing, 1994)
lists C. "peronianus" as a form of C. anemone.  Roeckel et al., in the
Manual of Living Conidae (Volume I), consider C. "peronianus" as
"Probably an ecological variant" of C. anemone.
 
Hope this information helps.
 
Bill Fenzan
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