Identification of cone snail (Conus spp.) in the coastal Central Southern Vietnam based on morophologic and gennetic chacracters

Cone snails (Conus spp.) comprise about 500 -700 known venomous, camivorous species, distributed in tropical and warm waters and is considered asource of valuable drug. The current study combined morphological and genetic characters to identify some Conus species, which having unclear taxonomic status. Six species were catrgorized under three groups of confusing characters: C. marmoreus and C. bandanus; C. leopardus and C. litteratus; C. distans and Conus cf. distans. The species has described morphologically and specific characters have been noted. Sequence differences of 16S mtDNA and CO1 mtDNA gene between species vary from 1.1 - 11.1% and 4.6 - 14,2%, respectively. Combination of morphologic and genetic characrters can help to precise species identification.

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