Conus baldichieri

Conus (Lautoconus) cf. baldichieri

(Borson, 1820)

(Psarras C., Koskeridou E., and Merle, 2021)

Conus (Lautoconus) cf. baldichieri is a species with characteristic colour pattern. The specimen studied is surprisingly similar to Comis baldichieri from the Pliocene of Italy (Borson 1820). The specimen differs in the less striated spire whorls, the less inflated shell, the more elongate last whorl and its shorter siphonal canal. Sacco figured the lectotype (MRSN BS.038.02.008) and included the species as Lithoconus mercatii vai. baldichieri (Sacco 1893). Ferrero Mortara et al (1984) catalogued this species in the collection of Turin, figuring the lectotype (MRSN BS.038.02.008). It is mentioned here, that the morphology of a species is not always absolute and can show intiaspecific variation (see herein remarks of Conus (Mioconus) subgen. nov. taurinensis). Despite that, as that specimen was not personally studied under UV light and as the pattern described here is critical for the evaluation of this species, leaving this specimen under open nomenclature is preferred. The specimen differs from Conus (Mioconus) subgen. nov.cf. taurinensis in the elevated and striated and smooth spire whorls, as well as the colour' pattern of continuous spiral and axial lines. Without colour pattern, this species could be misidentified as a morphological variation of Conus (Mioconus) subgen. nov. taurineensis. with worn out early spire whorls. Colour pattern has been proven to be an important factor for the identification of the Greek Conidae (Psarras et al. 2021) and herein, endorse the importance of UV light in the identification of Conidae ⁽¹⁾.