Ahh! the species level ID, now this is where the fun starts.
Things to take into account; 1) Ontogenetic changes, looking at a few other specimens here, it looks like the larger they get the smoother they get, the early whorls have many ribs the later whorls are smooth, at what ontogenetic stage is the specimen in question? 2) Dimorphism, is this a macroconch or a microconch, female or male, how much overlap in ornamentation is there between the two dimorphs? Between the dimorphs of different species? 3) Intraspecific variation, how much variation in the ornamentation occurs in this species, does the rib strength and spacing vary from one specimen to another? 4) Stratigraphic position, how do these change over time, does the ornamentation of a younger species match that of an older species at a different ontogenetic stage? 5) Anthropogenic modification, many fossils have been ground and polished to make them look nice, how many diagnostic characters have been ground or polished away?
The above is mostly considering the ornamentation, if the suture lines were visible we would have to look at all of this as it applies to the suture as well.
This is the point where we go to the library and find all the literature on Cleoniceras and study it for a few years. Or take it to someone who has already done the research and let them ID it. Or wish the collector would have had it ID'd and put a label on when it was collected. Seeing all the specimens for sale on the web you'd think that someone would have a better ID.
Of course you could just post a photo on TONMO and hope for the best
Things to take into account; 1) Ontogenetic changes, looking at a few other specimens here, it looks like the larger they get the smoother they get, the early whorls have many ribs the later whorls are smooth, at what ontogenetic stage is the specimen in question? 2) Dimorphism, is this a macroconch or a microconch, female or male, how much overlap in ornamentation is there between the two dimorphs? Between the dimorphs of different species? 3) Intraspecific variation, how much variation in the ornamentation occurs in this species, does the rib strength and spacing vary from one specimen to another? 4) Stratigraphic position, how do these change over time, does the ornamentation of a younger species match that of an older species at a different ontogenetic stage? 5) Anthropogenic modification, many fossils have been ground and polished to make them look nice, how many diagnostic characters have been ground or polished away?
The above is mostly considering the ornamentation, if the suture lines were visible we would have to look at all of this as it applies to the suture as well.
This is the point where we go to the library and find all the literature on Cleoniceras and study it for a few years. Or take it to someone who has already done the research and let them ID it. Or wish the collector would have had it ID'd and put a label on when it was collected. Seeing all the specimens for sale on the web you'd think that someone would have a better ID.
Of course you could just post a photo on TONMO and hope for the best