- Source: Conus purus
Conus purus is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails, cone shells or cones.
These snails are predatory and venomous. They are capable of "stinging" humans.
Description
The size of the shell varies between 44 and 68 mm (1.7 and 2.7 in). Conus purus is white with a tented pattern tinged with reddish brown. The spire of the shell can range from flat to conical. Each individual cone shell has a different shell form, color, and pattern. The spire of the cone comes to spire or a point. Additionally, the animal has brown mottling and is tan, with distinct black, white, and red tips on the siphon.
Behavior
Cone snails possess venom that is so strong that it may rapidly paralyze and ultimately kill victims. Conus purus venom is a complicated mixture of substances that blocks various neuromuscular pathways, ultimately resulting in paralysis. It is estimated that the number of bioactive chemicals in each snail's venom is over 100,000. The development of a potent antitoxin has been hampered by the venom's intricacy and the several target routes.
Unlike most cones, juveniles settle where they hatch.
It feeds on other mollusks.
Distribution
This marine species is endemic to Hawaii. The cone inhabits shallow water, no deeper than 15 ft (4.6 m).
Gallery
References
Further reading
Tucker J.K., Tenorio M.J. & Chaney H.W. (2011) A revision of the status of several conoid taxa from the Hawaiian Islands: Description of Darioconus levieni n. sp., Pionoconus striatus oahuensis n. ssp. and Harmoniconus paukstisi n. sp. (Gastropoda, Conidae). In: Severns M., Shells of the Hawaiian Islands - The Sea Shells: 501-514. Conchbooks, Hackenheim.
Tucker J.K. & Tenorio M.J. (2013) Illustrated catalog of the living cone shells. 517 pp. Wellington, Florida: MdM Publishing.
External links
Jiménez-Tenorio, A Revision of the Status of Several Conoid Taxa from the Hawaiian Islands
Sowerby, G. B. III. (1874). Descriptions of twelve new species of shells. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 1873: 718–722, pl. 59.
Kiener, L.C. (1844-1850). Spécies général et iconographie des coquilles vivantes. Vol. 2. Famille des Enroulées. Genre Cone (Conus, Lin.), pp. 1-379, pl. 1-111 [pp. 1-48 (1846); 49-160 (1847); 161-192 (1848); 193-240 (1849); 241-[379 (assumed to be 1850); plates 4,6 (1844); 2-3, 5, 7-32, 34-36, 38, 40-50 (1845); 33, 37, 39, 51-52, 54-56, 57-68, 74-77 (1846); 1, 69-73, 78-103 (1847); 104-106 (1848); 107 (1849); 108-111 (1850)]. Paris, Rousseau & J.B. Baillière]
Johnson R.I. (1994). Types of shelled Indo-Pacific mollusks described by William Harper Pease. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology. 154(1): 1-61
Puillandre N., Duda T.F., Meyer C., Olivera B.M. & Bouchet P. (2015). One, four or 100 genera? A new classification of the cone snails. Journal of Molluscan Studies. 81: 1-23
Pease, W. H. (1863). Description of new species of marine shells from the Pacific Islands. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. (1862): 278-280, pl. 11
"Darioconus leviteni". Gastropods.com. Retrieved 16 January 2019.