Marbled Cone Snail Hawaii

Conus marmoreus common name the marbled cone is a species of predatory sea snail a marine gastropod mollusk in the family conidae the cone snails cone shells or cones it is the type species for the genus conus this is a species which is believed to feed mostly on marine molluscs including other cone snails.

Marbled cone snail hawaii. For starters it is a carnivorous animal that specifically hunts other molluscs secondly it utilizes a specialized harpoon shaped tooth to take down its prey. This snail is venomous like all cone snails. This snail s adult shell has a size of 30mm to 150 mm though it varies. These snails certainly are lovely but they re as deadly as they are beautiful.

Cone snails use a radula tooth as a harpoon like structure for predation. Its venom can cause severe pain inflammation. When it attacks its prey it sticks out its long white proboscis to shoot a poison laden harpoon sometimes attacking its prey multiple times over. Hawaii has 34 species of cones few species endemic to the islands.

In hawaii the shells of marbled cone snails were traditionally collected from the beach drift and used as beads to make puka shell jewelry. The marbled cone snail is also known as the cigarette snail and just happens to be one of the most poisonous animals on the planet. A single drop of its venom can kill 20 adult humans. Cone snail habitats vary for different species.

Cone snails are predators. Yes snails in hawaii can be potentially deadly though there have been no fatalities here yet. Believe it or not one drop of venom from this snail is powerful enough to kill 20 people yep you read that right. A single drop of this snail s venom is powerful enough to kill 20 adult humans.

The three that are especially dangerous are the textile striated and marbled cones. The largest the leopard conus conus leopardus can reach 9 inches in length. Conus marmoreus is an unusual snail in more ways than one. The unique marbled cone snail is found from the southern tip of india to okinawa japan and southeast to new caledonia and samoa.

The radula in most gastropods has rows of many small teeth and is used for grasping at food and scraping it into the mouth. Some prefer mangroves or sandy banks while others prefer much deeper waters to search for other snails and fish. There are thirty to forty species of conus snail in the waters of hawaii. It s the marbled cone snail.

Roughly 30 humans to date have succumbed to the poison of the marbled cone snail. While some animal s venom may be deadlier none cane do so much damage with so little. It can be found in warm salty water. It feeds on other snails including some within its own species.