7+( &21( &2//(&725 -DQXDU\ 7+( 1RWHIURP &21( WKH(GLWRU &2//(&725 Here we are at the beginning of a new year. The World is still full of problems, so let us hope that 2011 will bring us the solu- (GLWRU tion to at least some of them! António Monteiro We are of course lucky to have our Cone collections to keep /D\RXW us happily busy. The study of Cones is apparently an endless André Poremski subject and that of course is for the better, as it allows for a &RQWULEXWRUV continuing interest in a fascinating field of research and a de- Remy Devorsine lightful hobby. Sébastien Dutertre William J. Fenzan We bring you a new issue of TCC, as usual full of interesting Richard L. Goldberg articles that cover many aspects that hopefully will interest our Mike Hart readers, be they advanced collectors, professional researchers or Joaquin Inchaustegui enthusiastic beginners. Our aim is to always provide something Julian Joseph for everyone. Paul Kersten Eric Monnier Giancarlo Paganelli Some of our readers have asked about the abstracts of the talks Elizabeth K. Shea given at our Meeting in Stuttgart last October. I regret to say Jon Singleton that it has not yet been possible to bring them all together, so David Touitou that their publication must still wait for a suitable opportunity, Thierry Vulliet but please be assured that we will get there eventually. So, without further ado, I will leave you with our authors – to whom renewed thanks are in order – and with the wonderful graphics once again done by André Poremski. A.M. 2QWKH&RYHU Conus coccineus (Gmelin, 1791) Image courtesy of Thierry Vulliet 3DJH3DJH 7+(&21(&2//(&725,668( :KR·V:KR LQ&RQHV(ULF0RQQLHU In spite of the fact that I was born in Montreal, Can- their phylogeny...and as an organic chemist I am flab- ada on July 1953, I am French and my family is from bergasted by the venomous beauty of the conotoxins: Toulouse, South of France. I now live in Paris and all more than 200,000 peptides as potential drugs! the cone lovers are welcome to my home! Recently I have started describing some new species of Since I was very young I have been strongly interested cones in association with Luigi Bozzetti (Conus alain- in Nature: animals, plants and minerals. I also love allaryi from Colombia) and Loïc Limpalaër (Conus Archeology and Art (Indian, Egyptian, Sumerian and dorotheae from Senegal) and with the latter (and in col- Precolombian civilizations) but the main passion of my laboration with Felix Lorenz) we are currently studying life has always been to collect and study shells. several other complexes and new species of the family Conidae. When I was a young boy I started buying shells in shops in Toulouse, Together with somes friends Biarritz, Marseille or Playa de Aro (Loïc Limpalaër, Alain Robin and (Spain) and I started a general col- Christophe Roux) we are currently lection with a particular interest in working on a Taxonomic Iconogra- Volutes, Chitons and Cones. phy of the Living Conidae. In this book (which we expect to make In 1977 I obtained the diploma of available in 2012 or 2013) we'll try Engineer in Biological Chemistry to be as exhaustive as possible with (INSA Toulouse) and after two about 5000 pictures and probably years teaching in the University of more than 1000 proposed taxa. Cumaná (Venezuela) I came back to Toulouse where in 1982 I ob- In fact, only DNA analysis (of tained a PhD degree in Physical which only about 25% is available Organic Chemistry. I then taught for the moment) would determine for one year in the University of if these taxa represent species, sub- Fes (Morocco) and since 1984 species or mere forms. The pro- I have been Associate Professor posed genera and subgenera will in CNAM (Paris) and in 1992 I be based on the available works on obtained the grade of "Docteur DNA at the time of publication d'État ès Sciences Physiques", working in esterolysis of – especially those of Christopher P. Meyer, Philippe allophanates as carboxybiotin models in surfactant re- Bouchet, Thomas F. Duda, Silke Kauferstein, Alan versed micelles. I also worked on the decontamination J.Kohn, Nicolas Puillandre & Baldomero Olivera (not of war's toxicals and on electrochemical DNA chips. yet published) – and also on John K.Tucker and Man- uel J.Tenorio’s recent work. At a certain point during the last 12 years I turned from a generalist collector with a special taste for Vo- The book will also include many pictures of the colour lutidae into a true Cone lover. The Cones are for me and pattern variations of each taxa, highlighted when- the most exciting molluscs because of the diversity of ever useful with details of the spire or of the proto- their colors, patterns and radulae and the complexity of conch, maps of geographical distribution, and other in- 7+(&21(&2//(&725,668( 3DJH Who's Who continued... A rare gem!! dication as to diet, development type, medium size and Our friend Mike Hart has recently sent in this beauti- bathymetry, DNA and toxins’ analysis (where known). ful photo of a 44 mm Conus adamsonii Broderip, 1826. I also recently started research with Philippe Bouchet According to Mike, this is “the best coloured specimen and Nicolas Puillandre about the MNHN collections from the Cook Islands that I have seen. Looks like a of the deep water conid species from North West Mad- Marquesan shell”. Quite easy to believe, certainly, as it agascar and the Mozambique Channel, also in collabo- is indeed a thing of beauty! ration with Reto Stocklin and Philippe Favreau from Atheris (Geneva). The fields of research that are open Thanks to Mike for sharing it. are really amazing. I warmly thank António Monteiro for being the real catalyst of the recent activity about cones and for the beautiful meeting in Stuttgart last October. I hope that the next Shell Show in Paris (5 and 6 of March 2011) will be an opportunity for further discussion around our passion. 3DJH 7+(&21(&2//(&725,668( Angasi & Advertex Jon Singleton Conus metcalfei Angus, 1877 was the name given to a The Cape Moreton region produced a mass of shells, small cone size 20 mm × 10.5 mm which was trawled and all were tossed into tea chests whatever the size from an unstated depth off the Sow and Pigs Reef, port or condition. Local dealers purchased by bulk not Jackson, Sydney Harbour. The name was invalid, so it knowing the contents. I assisted a Sydney dealer and was re-named Conus angasi Tryon, 1884. I do not know sorted through several chests. It was impossible to be of any further specimens being found until the upsurge certain whether a specimen had been live taken, and I of the prawn fishing industry, when many new grounds only ever found one specimen of C. advertex with the were established off the eastern Australian coast in periostracum intact. I have never seen the C. angasi the late 1960s. Over the next few years, C. angasi was periostracum. The sea-bed off Cape Moreton seems found at several locations between Yamba N. S. W., to to preserve the colour and patterns on shells for a long off Cape Moreton southern Queensland, but remained time, as very few well eroded shells were seen from an uncommon species, from depths between 50 m to this source. At a guess I would think some 75% of all 160 m. material off Cape Moreton was dead collected. From my own specimens and sightings in many other Like most collectors, I kept the two species as separate Queensland collections, the southern limit for C. angasi for many years. Likely the first publication which is Yamba, which is 570 km north of the type locality, considered C. advertex to be just a form of C. angasi which seems a bit surprising. Another odd fact is that was the Coomans et al “Alphabetical Revision” of the the holotype at 20 mm in length is the smallest I have living Conus in 1979, and also the Walls Cone Shells sighted, and the only sub-adult specimen, and my own book suggested it may be a subspecies the same year. smallest is 31 mm × 18 mm. Today, some 30 years later, most publications and The increased trawling activities brought up many new collectors now regard C. advertex to be just a form species, and many proved to be endemic, and were of C. angasi. The full scientific proof will likely be quickly named and described. One was Conus advertex based on DNA results, providing specimens with the Garrard, 1961, the holotype size 30 mm × 19 mm, animal preserved are available. With modern trawling with a type locality of off Cape Moreton, from a depth techniques far less by-product such as shells surfacing, of 160 m. This species was to prove a more common neither species seems to have been found for many years. species to C. angasi, which it resembled in many ways, but differed by having a flattish spire and straighter References sides, and both had identical parallel spiral grooves on the spiral whorls. 1979. Coomans et al. Alphabetical Revision of Recent Conidae. Basteria 43; The known range ofC. advertex from Noosa Heads 81-105, Part 2. Qld., and south to Evans Head N. S. W. which is 140 km south of the QLD/NSW border. Excluding 1979. Walls, J. specimens from 160 m off Cape Moreton, the depth Cone Shells. A Synopsys of the Living Conidae.