Pointlessly Picturesque? Diversity, Classification, and Significance of Shell Color Patterns of Cone Snails (Neogastropoda: Conidae)

The diverse shell color patterns of cone snails have attracted the interests of collectors, artists, and scholars for centuries, but their means of construction by the living animal and biological functions, if any, remain poorly understood. What little information that we know is summarized, areas of future study are highlighted, and a new layer-based framework for classification of shell color-pattern elements is presented with modern and fossil examples to help spur future study. Finally, an argument is presented that the color patterns of cone snails likely have little, if any, adaptive or functional significance. Conasprella (Ximeniconus) onisca (Woodring, 1928) is presented as a new combination.