A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
Conus textile
Also known as Cloth-of-gold Cone, this mollusk is extremely dangerous when handled as it can sting humans with a deadly toxin. Its proboscis can be extended to any part of its shell. Its shell, which has a moderately high spire and pointed apex, is patterned with yellow-orange and black triangles and irregular bands. C. textile is carnivorous and eats snails. It can bore a hole into other mollusks, such as cowries, and inject a conotoxin to kill its prey.
Habitat: lower eulittoral, often under boulders. Distribution: Indo-Pacific.
I saw this shell (already absent its original occupant) in less than 7m of water. It was still in pristine condition. I'd really love to be able to capture a live specimen on video one of these days!
Spotted on Aug 12, 2012
Submitted on Aug 12, 2012
3 Comments
Project Noah Fact of the Day: The textile cone snail (Conus textile) is a venomous predator of the ocean. It can be found in the waters of the Red Sea, Indo-Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, the Indian Ocean from eastern Africa to Hawaii, and French Polynesia. It's venom, conotoxin, is extremely dangerous to humans so this snail should not be handled.
Textile Cone Snail spotted in Davao Del Norte, Philippines by PN user Blogie.
https://www.facebook.com/projectnoah/pho...
So Sweet!
Beautiful!