Like all species within the genus Conus, these snails are predatory and venomous. They are capable of stinging humans, therefore live ones should be handled carefully or not at all.
Description
The size of the shell varies between 18mm and 51mm. The yellowish brown shell is white-banded in the middle and less distinctly so at the shoulder and the base of the body whorl. These bands are sometimes maculated, like the spire, with chestnut, and there are, on the darker portions, occasional faint chestnut revolving lines.
Gmelin J.F. 1791. Caroli a Linné. Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Lipsiae: Georg. Emanuel. Beer Vermes. Vol. 1(Part 6) pp.3021–3910.
Röding, P.F. 1798. Museum Boltenianum sive Catalogus cimeliorum e tribus regnis naturae quae olim collegerat Joa. Hamburg: Trappii 199 pp.
Dillwyn, L.W. 1817. A Descriptive Catalogue of Recent Shells, arranged according to the Linnaean method; with particular attention to the synonymy. London: John and Arthur Arch 2 volumes 1092 + 29 pp.
Sowerby, G.B. (1st) 1833. Conus. pls 24–37 in Sowerby, G.B. (2nd) (ed). The Conchological Illustrations or coloured figures of all the hitherto unfigured recent shells. London: G.B. Sowerby (2nd).
Coomans H.E. & De Visser J.S. (1987) Studies on Conidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda). 10. The holotype and identity of Conus coffeae Gmelin. The Veliger 29(4): 437–441
Wilson, B. 1994. Australian Marine Shells. Prosobranch Gastropods. Kallaroo, WA: Odyssey Publishing Vol. 2 370 pp.
Röckel, D., Korn, W. & Kohn, A.J. 1995. Manual of the Living Conidae. Volume 1: Indo-Pacific Region. Wiesbaden: Hemmen 517 pp.