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Conus mercator facts for kids

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Conus mercator
Mercator2.jpg
Conus mercator Linnaeus, 1758
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Synonyms
  • Conus (Lautoconus) cacao Ferrario, 1983
  • Conus (Lautoconus) fernandi (Petuch & Berschauer, 2018)
  • Conus (Lautoconus) lamarckii Kiener, 1847
  • Conus (Lautoconus) mercator Linnaeus, 1758 · accepted, alternate representation
  • Conus (Lautoconus) orri Ninomiya & da Motta, 1982
  • Conus cacao Ferrario, 1983
  • Conus dealbatus A. Adams, 1855 (nomen dubium)
  • Conus lamarckii Kiener, 1845
  • Conus orri da Motta, 1982
  • Conus reticularis Bory de Saint Vincent, 1827
  • Conus senegalensis (Gulden, Moolenbeek & Goud, 2017)
  • Cucullus aurelius Röding, 1798
  • Lautoconus (Lautoconus) stimpsonorum Cossignani & Allary, 2019
  • Lautoconus cacao (Ferrario, 1983)
  • Lautoconus fernandi Petuch & Berschauer, 2018
  • Lautoconus gambiensis Petuch & Berschauer, 2018
  • Lautoconus lamarckii (Kiener, 1847)
  • Lautoconus mercator (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Lautoconus orri (Ninomiya & da Motta, 1982)
  • Lautoconus rikae Petuch & Berschauer, 2018 (original combination)
  • Lautoconus senegalensis Gulden, Moolenbeek & Goud, 2017
  • Lautoconus stimpsonorum Cossignani & Allary, 2019 (original combination)
  • Varioconus mercator (Linnaeus, 1758)· accepted, alternate representation

The Trader Cone (scientific name: Conus mercator) is a type of sea snail. It's a marine gastropod, which means it's a snail that lives in the ocean. This snail belongs to the Conidae family, also known as the cone snails.

Just like other cone snails, the Trader Cone is a predatory animal. This means it hunts and eats other creatures. It is also venomous, so it can "sting" humans. Because of this, it's very important to be careful around live Trader Cones. It's best not to touch them at all.

About the Trader Cone Shell

The shell of the Trader Cone snail can be anywhere from about 20 millimeters (less than an inch) to 55 millimeters (about 2 inches) long. Its shell is usually yellowish or ash-gray. It often has faint lines running lengthwise that are a chestnut brown color.

The shell also has two main bands of white. One wide band is near the top, at the "shoulder" of the shell. A narrower band is in the middle. These white bands have a pattern that looks like a net, made of closely connected chestnut brown lines.

Where Trader Cones Live

You can find the Trader Cone snail in the Atlantic Ocean. Specifically, it lives off the coast of Senegal, a country in West Africa.

Gallery

Below are several color forms:

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