More of Cone Snails...

These amazing creatures are not only found in the deepest parts of the oceans but also on the shores. While the shell of the snail lets it camouflage and wait for the prey, its siphon provided with numerous chemosensors detects the prey that happens to linger dangerously close. The proboscis containing what is probably the most efficient hypodermic needle of nature loaded with the most potent concoction of dangerous toxins is ready for the prey.

The lack of physical agility of these seemingly lazy predators is well compensated by their lethal venom. Within seconds of injection of the deadly cocktail of some 100 different conotoxins, the victim immobilizes. The snail engulfs its paralysed prey and swallows it whole.

Click here to view an amazing video depicting just this.

Cone Snails

Have you ever wondered how those lazy small snails catch their prey?
Well, here is how they do...



Cone snails are some of the most amazing creatures in the world of marine animals. Very little is known about them. They have a mind-blowing variety of toxins. These toxins are usually about 12 to 30 amino acid residues long with unusually large numbers of disulphide bridges. The toxins are so diverse that no two species of cone snails have same toxins. Even the composition of different toxins in their venom differs.

The pharmaceutical potential of some of these toxins have been identified and are in clinical and preclinical studies. These toxins can be used in the treatment of various diseases, from hypertension to depression.