Our new content highlight comes from the collections of invertebrates
and represents a large group named 'gastropods'. Did you know that Conus
geographus has a poisonous stinger? It is located on the tip of a long,
extensible tentacle, which can reach up to three-quarters of the length of the
shell.
Conus geographus is a type of sea snail,
found among coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific Ocean, and in the Red Sea. Its
shell is wide, thin-walled and barrel-shaped. The mouth of the shell is long
and relatively thin, only in the lower part is it markedly wider. Color is a
characteristic irregular white with brown spots. The shells of Conus geographus have always been prized
for their beauty, and are of interest to collectors. The geography cone is a
predator, even capable of catching fish.
It is one of the few snails
that can be dangerous to humans. The geography cone, like other cones, attacks
its prey by using an extensible tentacle, tipped with a poisonous sting. The
stinger is shaped like a hollow harpoon, even possessing rear-facing spines.
Its venom is strongly neurotoxic, causing muscle paralysis, accompanied by
pain, nausea, vomiting and abdominal colic. More severe cases display accelerated
pulse, double vision, vocal paralysis and uncoordinated movements. There is no
antidote for cone venom; treatment consists solely of trying to keep the victim
alive until the poison wears off.
The geography cone starts
off our new series, which will introduce more than thirty poisonous species
from different taxonomic groups and parts of the world. If you are interested in
learning more about poisonous nature, stay tuned to us. We will have a surprise
for you at the beginning of next week!
