Is this a cone snail in my tank?

[fishysteve]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/569/63944Copy_of_DSCN1592.JPG
It is about an inch long and doesn't seem too interested in algae.

[mbbuna]

i would send Greenbean a PM and dont touch it.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.science.fau.edu/chemistry/Mari/GRA%2520web%2520jpg.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.science.fau.edu/chemistry/Mari/usscono.html&h=299&w=439&sz=29&hl=en&start=20&tbnid=sjRd1z8CkhZB9M:&tbnh=86&tbnw=127&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcone%2Bsnails%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26rls%3DRNWE,RNWE:2004-51,RNWE:en%26sa%3DN

[concept3]

yeah bro- don't stick your hand in the tank to disturb it. did you buy it, or did it hitchhike from your LR?

[fishysteve]

I was buying some small conchs at my LFS ( I get to go in the tanks to get what I want because I worked there for five years until last year ) and I picked it out because it was so red and threw it in the bag with the rest of them. I knew it wasn't a conch but I thought, what the hell, why not.

[mstewart]

I'm no expert on these, but a quick Google image search on "cone snail" provided enough examples with similar shaped shells to give me the shivers. Be very careful with this one until an expert tells you otherwise.

[jmaneyapanda]

Cone shells can be easily fatal to humans, so definitely do not go anywhere near it (some can shoot "harpoons" of venom). I vote to safely (and remotely) remove it and destroy it (so that no one else will be in danger).

[Chaotic Reefer4u]

wow interesting find, please be careful!

[pagojoe]

Hi Steve,

Yeah, this guy wouldn't be interested in algae. It's a Conus species, but not one of the baddies. I'm not at home and don't have my animal reference photos with me, but it's one of a couple of different non-deadly species. The general outline looks to be either Conus varius, Conus lividus, or Conus sanguinolentus. I know Conus sanguinolentus has an orange animal with metallic-looking flecks, so it is probably that species. I think the animal of C. lividus is darker in color, almost maroon, and my failing memory seems to think the animal of C. varius is cream-colored. In any case, I've kept all the deadly ones in my aquarium, and it's none of those. That said, I don't think I'd want to be the test subject for presumably harmless cone stings, so I wouldn't suggest letting it crawl across your palm or keeping your finger on its siphon for an extended period. It probably won't hurt anything in your aquarium, though it may eventually starve to death.

Cheers,



Don
Pago Pago/Conroe, TX

http://www.manandmollusc.net/conewars/conewars.html

[fishysteve]

pagojoe-- Thank you for the info. What do they eat?

[pagojoe]

Hey Steve,

These are vermivores. They feed on polychaetes, which very well may be established in your tank already. I'm not sure if they are restricted to a single species, or eat several different ones. With any luck, he'll find one he likes living there.

Cheers,



Don Barclay

[TxStingRay]

Hello Don Barclay,

Are you still located in Conroe, Tx?
Are you affiliated with Tx A&M Marine Biology?
Do you have first hand experience with Cone Snails?
I am in Medical Research Marine Bioligy, looking for some authority on Indo-pacific conus Textillia, and Conus Grographus.

Dr. Steven Clark

[Sfork]

might be better off with a private message his post was made 4 years ago.

[pagojoe]

Hi Dr. Clark,

I'm still around, LOL. Not affiliated with A&M, but I went to school there and know a few of the A&M guys. I know most of the other Conus researchers, though. Dr. Baldomero Olivera and his crew are still working on C. geographus and others, I believe, as are J.P. Bingham and his cohorts, and a few others. I know J.P. worked with the Textilia quite a bit using mass spec to isolate venom components. He's in Hawaii now. You can either Google search for them or I can probably put you in contact with some of them. J.P. is on this forum occasionally, although he tends to lurk and not post very often.

Cheers,



Don

[pagojoe]

And yes, I have quite a bit of first hand experience with cone snails, although I haven't kept them for some years now.