Cone shell. A cone shell, Conus sp., travelling over sand. Cone shells are carnivorous, feeding on fish, snails and worms. They capture their prey usi

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Cone shell. A cone shell, Conus sp., travelling over sand. Cone shells are carnivorous, feeding on fish, snails and worms. They capture their prey using a long, manoeuvrable proboscis (withdrawn here) on which there are dart-like teeth. These are used to inject a powerful venom, which paralyses the victim. The prey is then drawn into the proboscis. Several human deaths have been caused by cone shell attacks. Cone shells are found in tropical and sub-tropical marine habitats, and often bury themselves in sand. Photographed on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia.

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Size: 3736px × 2480px
Photo credit: © DR GEORGE GORNACZ/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: animal, cone, conus, gastropod, invertebrates, mollusca, nature, poisonous, shel, shell, sp., type, venomous, wildlife, zoology