Tag Archives: Cones

Collector Urchin and Yellow Cone

A collector urchin with a yellow cone shell on its back in the waters off Hawaii

I like to keep an eye out for Collector Urchins to see what bits and pieces they have found to attach to their spines (here). What caught my eye with this one is that the shell on its back is that of a Yellow Cone. They do attach shells so I expect this was one of those rather than a living cone.

Hebrew Cone

A Hebrew Cone in the waters off Hawaii

For some reason, on many recent swims I’ve seen a variety of cones in the water. Cones are marine snails and many have a venomous sting, which can be dangerous to humans, though not likely fatal.

The Hebrew Cone gets its name from its distinctive markings, which supposedly bear something of a resemblance to Hebrew letters. It’s quite common here, though this was the first one I’ve seen. Apparently, the largest Hebrew Cones are found in Hawaii, though that only means a length of around 2.5 inches, which this one might have been close to.