Conus crioulus: Small shell, ventricosely conical, with a moderate spire and a rounded shoulder. Outline of the last whorl with straight or slightly convex sides. Spire with a straight profile in most cases, with slightly concave, striated sutural ramps and very well marked suture. The shell has a greenish-brown color with fine equally spaced spiral lines of a darker brown color, interrupted by white dashes and irregular bluish white flecks, tent-shaped in occasions. The white flecks and dashes coalesce forming a more dense bluish white spiral band around the middle portion of the last whorl or slightly below. The shoulder and the spire are white, overlaid with greenish-brown blotches often by coalescing fine axial irregular hairlines. Sometimes, the spire pattern is reduced to comma-shaped flecks, or alternatively the greenish-brown fine axial hairlines may cover most of the spire. The area around the base is usually of a darker brown, covered by a pattern of bluish white markings in more or less extent. The aperture is purplish, with two white bands, one in the middle portion and another one in the upper part. The edge of the inner lip shows elements of the external pattern by transparence. The inner part of the aperture is bluish, and the columella purple. Morphometric parameters: L = 15 -23 mm; average L = 18.9 mm; RD = 0.62 - 0.72; RSH = 0.12 - 0.23; PMD * 0.78 - 0.81.

Conus crioulus: This species is probably the same one that appears in Rolan, 1992 referred to as "C. aff. damottai - population 78". It was stated in there that this species might be related to either C. damottai damottai Trovao, 1979 (PI. 2, Fig. 9) from Boavista Island, or to C. aff irregularis Sowerby II, 1858 from Porto Cais, Maio Island. However, C. crioulus has constant features that allow separation from both species, although isolated specimens of C. crioulus might eventually look similar to either C. damottai damottai or C aff. irregularis. The radular tooth of C. crioulus is quite different to that of C. damottai damottai, which is short and broad, and with a very high waist (DR/PA in between 2.51 and 2.76). Besides C. crioulus lives sympatrically with the reticulated form of C. damottai galeao in Praia Real, and no intermediates have been found. With respect to C. aff. irregularis, the general appearance of the shell is different to that of C. crioulus: the former has a larger shell, with a more definite pattern of interrupted brown spiral lines and white dashes both on the last whorl and in the spire, whereas in C. crioulus the spire and the shoulder region are predominantly white, and the white flecks on the pattern are more irregular. Differences are also observed in the aspect of the respective radular teeth. In the case of C. aff. irregularis, the radular tooth is broader, with a not so well-marked waist, with more denticles in the serration and a short barb. The different populations of C. irregularis Sowerby, 1857 from Boavista Island can be easily separated from C. crioulus based upon the general aspect of the shells.

Conus crioulus: TYPE LOCALITY: Praia Real, North coast of Maio Island, Cape Verde Is.
DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT
So far it has only been found in the type locality.
Found half-buried in sand in crevices and rock platforms, in very shallow water (0.25 to 0.5 m depth).

Conus crioulus: The species is named after the Portuguese dialect spoken by the native inhabitants of the Cape Verde Islands.