SHELL OF THE MONTH – JULY 2016

Conus monile Hwass 1792
Trawled, Mergui Archipelago
Myanmar (Burma)

The Necklace Cone is a very attractive shell. It has the classic “ice cream cone” shape. It has a nice gloss and an interesting variable pattern. Typical specimens are white with a rows of brown necklaces. Certain populations especially those from the south of Burma are suffused with salmon.
Adult specimens range are typically 2-2.5″ in size, though they do grow larger. As typical with cones the spire suffers from erosion, especially in the biggest specimens. This specimen is 2.5″.
Conus monile is an Indian Ocean specie restricted to the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea. Most specimens come from either the southern tip of India or the west coast of Burma and Thailand. Although a shallow water specie, mosts pecimens come from the fishing boats. Its habitat is reported as “on sand with clay and shell rubble.”