?Cone snails
Geography cone, Conus geographus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Mollusca Class: Gastropoda Subclass: Orthogastropoda Superorder: Caenogastropoda Order: Sorbeoconcha Suborder: Hypsogastropoda Infraorder: Neogastropoda Superfamily: Conoidea Family: Conidae Linnaeus, 1758
Genera
Asprella Chelyconus Conus Floraconus Leptoconus Conus geographicus (a marine snail) Downloaded from : [[1]] Credits : Kerry Matz National Institute of General Medical Services File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms (as opposed to folk taxonomy). ... Phyla Subregnum Parazoa Porifera (sponges) Subregnum Agnotozoa Placozoa (trichoplax) Orthonectida (orthonectids) Rhombozoa (dicyemids) Subregnum Eumetazoa Radiata (unranked) (radial symmetry) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria (coral, jellyfish, anemones) Bilateria (unranked) (bilateral symmetry) Acoelomorpha (basal) Myxozoa (slime animals) Superphylum Deuterostomia (blastopore becomes anus) Chordata (vertebrates, etc. ... Classes Caudofoveata Aplacophora Polyplacophora Monoplacophora Bivalvia Scaphopoda Gastropoda Cephalopoda † Rostroconchia † Helcionelloida The mollusks American spelling) or molluscs (British spelling) are the large and diverse phylum Mollusca, which includes a variety of familiar animals well-known for their decorative shells or as seafood. ... Subclasses Eogastropoda (True Limpets and relatives) Orthogastropoda The gastropods, gasteropods, or univalves, are the largest and most successful class of mollusks, with 60,000-75,000 known living species comprising the snails and slugs as well as a vast number of marine and freshwater species. ... Infraclasses Apogastropoda Cocculiniformia Murchisoniina Neritopsina Vetigastropoda In their work, which has become a standard reference in the field, Ponder and Lindberg (1997) showed that the Orthogastropoda is one of two subclasses of the Gastropoda the class of molluscs, the other subclass being the Eogastropoda. ... Caenogastropoda Categories: Animal stubs ... Suborders Discopoda Murchisoniina Hypsogastropoda Sorbeoconcha is an order within the gastropod superorder Caenogastropoda. ... Hypsogastropoda is a suborder within the gastropod order Sorbeoconcha. ... Superfamilies Buccinoidea Cancellarioidea Conoidea Muricoidea The Neogastropoda used to be an order of prosobranch gastropods in the taxonomy of Thiele (1921). ... Families Conidae Terebridae Turridae Conoidea is a superfamily within the gastropod suborder Hypsogastropoda. ... Carolus Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as , (May 23, 1707 – January 10, 1778), was a Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist[1] who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of nomenclature. ...

The cone snails or cone shells (Conidae) are marine snails found in coral reefs. Marine is an umbrella term for things relating to the ocean, as with marine biology, marine geology, and as a term for a navy, etc. ... The name snail applies to most members of the molluscan class Gastropoda that have coiled shells. ... Some of the biodiversity of a coral reef. ...

Cone snails can grow up to 23 cm in length and are found in tropical waters. There are about 500 different species. They are carnivorous, generally eating marine worms, small fish, and even other molluscs. Because cone snails are slow-moving, they use a venomous harpoon (called a toxoglossan radula) to catch fast-moving prey such as fish. The venom of some species is powerful enough to kill a human being. A centimetre (US: centimeter) is a factor of the SI unit of length: there are one hundred centimeters in the base unit of measure, the metre. ... The lion is a well-known, truly carnivorous member of the order Carnivora. ... A worm is an elongated soft-bodied invertebrate animal. ... The Guppy, also known as guppie (Poecilia reticulata) is one of the most popular freshwater aquarium fish species in the world. ... Classes Caudofoveata Aplacophora Polyplacophora - Chitons Monoplacophora Bivalvia - Bivalves Scaphopoda - Tusk shells Gastropoda - Snails and Slugs Cephalopoda - Squids, Octopuses, etc. ... It has been suggested that Snake poison be merged into this article or section. ... Whaling harpoon. ... Radula is the scientific name for the toothed chitinous ribbon in the mouth of gastropods. ... Human beings are defined variously in biological, spiritual, and cultural terms, or in combinations thereof. ...

Harpoon and venom

The cone snail's harpoon is a modification of the radula, an organ in molluscs which acts as both tongue and teeth. The harpoon is hollow and barbed, and is attached to the tip of the radula inside the snail's throat. When the snail detects a prey animal nearby, it turns its mouth - a long flexible tube called a proboscis - towards the prey. The harpoon is loaded with venom and, still attached to the radula, is fired from the proboscis into the prey by a powerful muscular contraction. The venom paralyses small fish almost instantly. The snail then retracts the radula, drawing the subdued prey into the mouth. Radula is the scientific name for the toothed chitinous ribbon in the mouth of gastropods. ... Tongue The tongue is the large bundle of muscles on the floor of the mouth that manipulates food for chewing and swallowing. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... In general, a proboscis (from Greek pro before and baskein to feed) is an elongated appendage from the head of an animal. ...

The venom of cone snails contains hundreds of different compounds, and its composition varies widely from one species of cone snail to another. The toxins in these various venoms are called conotoxins. These are various peptides, targeting each a specific nerve channel or receptor. This venom also contains a pain-reducing component, first pacifying the victim, before immobilising and then killing it. Some cone snail venom contains tetrodotoxin, which is the same paralytic neurotoxin as that of the pufferfish, the blue-ringed octopus, and the Rough-skinned Newt. A conotoxin is one of a group of neurotoxic peptides isolated from the venom of the marine cone snail. ... Peptides (from the Greek πεπτος, digestible), are the family of short molecules formed from the linking, in a defined order, of various α-amino acids. ... Tetrodotoxin (anhydrotetrodotoxin 4-epitetrodotoxin, tetrodonic acid, TTX) is a potent neurotoxin, which blocks action potentials in nerves by binding to the pores of the voltage-gated sodium channels in nerve cell membranes. ... (noun) paralytic (a person suffering from paralysis) (adj) paralytic, paralytical (relating to the nature of paralysis) paralytic symptoms (adj) paralytic, paralyzed (affected or subject to paralysis) Drugs which induce paralization are called paralytics, such as Vecuronium, Pancuronium, & Succinylcholine. ... It has been suggested that Neurotoxicity be merged into this article or section. ... Genera Amblyrhynchotes Arothron Auriglobus Canthigaster Carinotetraodon Chelonodon Colomesus Contusus Ephippion Feroxodon Fugu Gastrophysus Javichthys Lagocephalus Liosaccus Marilyna Monotretus Omegaphora Pelagocephalus Polyspina Reicheltia Sphoeroides Takifugu Tetractenos Tetraodon Torquigener Tylerius Xenopterus For species see text The pufferfish, also called blowfish, swellfish, globefish, balloonfish are fish making up the family Tetraodontidae, within the... Species Hapalochlaena fasciata Hapalochlaena lunulata Hapalochlaena maculosa Hapalochlaena nierstraszi (disputed) The blue-ringed octopuses (genus Hapalochlaena) are three or four small octopus species that live in tide pools in the Pacific, in places from Japan to Australia. ... Binomial name Taricha granulosa // Subspecies Species Granulosa is divided into two subspecies: Rough-Skinned newt (Taricha granulosa granulosa) Crater Lake Rough-Skinned newt (Taricha granulosa mazamae) A newt with pebbly, non-slimy skin, that is light brown to black on top and yellow to orange on its belly, is most...

Danger to humans

Textile cone, Conus textile

The bright colours and patterns of cone snails have led curious or acquisitive people to pick them up, sometimes with tragic consequences when the snail fires its harpoon in self-defense. About 30 human deaths have been recorded from cone snail envenomation. One species, Conus geographus, is known colloquially as the "cigarette snail," in the belief that the victim will have only enough time to smoke a cigarette before perishing. The harpoon can penetrate gloves or even wetsuits. Symptoms of a cone snail sting include intense pain, swelling, numbness and tingling. Symptoms can start immediately or can be delayed in onset for days. Severe cases involved muscle paralysis, changes in vision and respiratory failure that can lead to death. There is no antivenom, and treatment involves providing life support until the venom is metabolised by the victim. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 423 KB) A Textile Cone Snail (Conus textile) Location: Cod Hole, Great Barrier Reef, Australia Date: 7 August 2005 Photographer: Richard Ling <richard@research. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 423 KB) A Textile Cone Snail (Conus textile) Location: Cod Hole, Great Barrier Reef, Australia Date: 7 August 2005 Photographer: Richard Ling <richard@research. ... A glove (Middle English from Old English glof) is a type of garment which covers the hand. ... A surfer in a wetsuit. ... Look up Pain in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Paralysis is the complete loss of muscle function for one or more muscle groups. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Respiratory failure is a medical term for inadequate gas exchange by the respiratory system. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... Antivenom (or antivenin, or antivenene) is a biological product used in the treatment of venomous bites or stings. ... Life support, in the medical field, refers to a set of therapies for preserving a patients life when essential body systems are not functioning sufficiently to sustain life unaided. ...

Medical use

The venom of some cone snails, such as the magician cone snail, show much promise for providing a non-addictive pain reliever 1000 times as powerful as, and possibly a replacement for, morphine. Many peptides produced by the cone snails show prospects for being potent pharmaceuticals, such as AVC1, isolated from the Australian cone shell Conus victoriae. This has proved very effective in treating post-surgical and neuropathic pain, even accelerating recovery from nerve injury. The first painkiller Ziconotide derived from cone snail toxins was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in December 2004. Other drugs are in clinical and preclinical trials, such as compounds of the toxin that may be used in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and epilepsy. Morphine (INN) (IPA: ) is an extremely powerful opiate analgesic drug and is the principal active agent in opium. ... Pharmacology (in Greek: pharmacon is drug, and logos is science) is the study of how chemical substances interfere with living systems. ... Ziconotide is a non-opioid, non local anesthetic used for the amelioration of chronic pain. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...

Collection

Because of the intricate color patterns of cone shells, they have been called the most popular collectible shells.^[1] Conus gloriamaris^[2], the Glory of the Seas, was one of the most famous and sought-after seashells, with only a few specimens known, until sizable populations were discovered.^[3] Conchology is the collection and study of the shells of mollusks. ...

Eroded cone shells are also collected (and mimicked) to make puka shell jewelry. Puka shells are pieces of a Cone Snail shell. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Category:Conidae

• Cone snail and conotoxins page
• One slip, and you’re dead... (Nature news article)
• The Conus Biodiversity website
• Conidae from worldwide.conchology.com. Scroll down for many photographs.
• Pain-killer comes out of its shell (The Age news article)
• Venomous snails aid medical science (BBC News Article).
• ConeShell Collection Giancarlo Paganelli