Type specimens and identity of the described species of Conus VII. The species described 1810-1820

Abstract

During the first decade of the 19th Century, eight authors described 98 new species of Conus, bringing to 437 the number of proposed species-group names in this genus by 1810. This study analyses the descriptions of these nominal species, and die specimens on which they were based, and evaluates the status of each. All Conus species names introduced by Bosc in 1801, Gebauer in 1802, Schroter in 1803 and Renier in 1804 are synonyms of previously described species or nomina dubia. One of the six species described by Holten in 1802 is valid, as is one of the six described by Fischer in 1807. The one species described by Peron in 1807 is valid. Of the 20 species proposed by Link in 1807 and 1808, two are valid. Only five type specimens of the 56 species described by these authors could be located. The remaining 42 new tonus species proposed during die decade were described by Lamarck in 1803 and 1810; 15 of these represent valid, previously undescribed species, but Lamarck used preoccupied names for two of diem. Type specimens of 20 of Lamarck's species exist in Geneva (12) and Paris (8), and neotypes of four odier species have been designated. At the present time, 141 valid species of Conus are recognized from the species described between 1758 and 1810. Of diese 133 are extant and eight are known only as Tertiary fossils.