Marbled Cone Snail Sting

Are cone snails dangerous.

Marbled cone snail sting.

Each of these harpoons is a modified tooth primarily made of chitin and formed inside the mouth of the snail in a structure known as the toxoglossan radula. The radula in most gastropods has rows of many small teeth and is used for grasping at food and scraping it into the mouth. A cone snail has a cone shaped shell a fleshy foot a head and tentacles. Cone snails use a radula tooth as a harpoon like structure for predation.

The cone snail is a venomous sea snail that is an ocean bottom dweller. It is a very slow creature and hence relies on its highly potent harpoon like sting to paralyze and kill its prey. This snail is venomous like all cone snails. Cone snail shells range in size from less than an inch to 9 inches long.

Cone snails mainly hunt worms and other snails. A few varieties of cone snails eat fish and these are the most harmful to humans. They can inflict painful stings with the release of potent venom when they are handled. What is cone snail sting.

Cone snails are carnivorous and predatory using a venomous harpoon to sting prey different venom can paralyse fish and even kill humans they eat marine worms small fish and even other cone snails. Cone snails live in the indian and pacific oceans the caribbean and red seas and along the. What are the causes of cone snail sting.