Conus

The genus Conus belongs to the family Conidae and comprises marine snails known for their cone-shaped shells. These snails possess a unique hunting mechanism: they inject a paralyzing toxin using a dart. While their typical prey includes worms, mollusks, and sometimes fish, a few larger species have been known to fatally sting humans. The toxins produced by cone snails are valuable tools for neurobiologists studying receptors and ion channels in vertebrates, as they target the victim's nervous system. Most Conus species are found in the Indo-Pacific region. The shells of these snails can vary in shape, often exhibiting a logarithmic spiral, and some species, like the glory-of-the-seas cone (C. gloriamaris), were once highly prized by collectors.12