Conus sting

Yoshiba, S., and S. Sakurai Comparative Studies on the Toxicities of Venoms of Five Species of Conus and the Effect of Ligation as a Treatment for Conus-stings. Jpn. J. med. Sci. Biol. 35, 139 (1982). 

Figure 1. Diagram of the venom duct of Conus. The venom is produced in the venom duct, apparently expelled from the duct into the proboscis by contraction of the venom bulb. Simultaneously, a harpoon-like tooth is transferred from the radula sac to the proboscis. When injection takes place, the venom is pushed through the hollow tooth and flows into the prey through a hole at the tip of the tooth. Typically, fish-hunting cones will strike at a fish only once and grasp the tooth after injection has occurred, effectively harpooning their prey while injecting the paralytic venom. In contrast, snail-hunting cones will usually sting their prey several times before total paralysis occurs. (Reprinted with permission from the Second Revised Edition of Ref. 8. Copyright 1988 Darwin Press, Inc.)...

Figure 4. Worm-hunting and snail-hunting Conus, (a) The ver-mivorous species Conus brunneus about to sting its polychaete worm prey, (b) The molluscivorous species Conus dalli stinging the snail prey, Columhella. Both Conus species were collected in the Gulf of California. Photographs by Alex Kerstitch.

Defensive uses of the venom of cone snails have not been well documented. In a few instances, human fatalities have resulted from the stings of these animals it can be argued that this is the result of defensive maneuvers of the snail. However, most Conus species are not sufficiently aggressive to display such behavior. Nevertheless, these animals should not be handled by nonexperts and all precautions must be taken when handling live cone snails. 

Marine snails belonging to the genus Conus are venomous predators that immobilize their prey by a highly specialized venom apparatus. The venom which is of proteinaceous or peptide nature is injected into the prey by means of a disposable hollow tooth which serves both as harpoon and hypodermic needle. A number of human fatalities have resulted from the sting of Conus geographus. 

Cruz, L. J. and White, J. 1995. Clinical toxicology of Conus snail stings. In CRC Handbook on Clinical Toxicology of Animal Venoms and Poisons Eds. Meier, J. and White, J.). Boca Raton, FL, CRC Press. 117-127. 

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