Conus ermineus

Conus ermineus, common name the turtle cone, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.^[2]

Conus ermineus
Apertural and abapertural views of shell of Conus ermineus Born, I. von, 1778
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Neogastropoda
Superfamily:	Conoidea
Family:	Conidae
Genus:	Conus
Species:	C. ermineus
Binomial name
Conus ermineus Born, 1778
Synonyms[2]
Chelyconus ermineus (Born, 1778) Conus (Chelyconus) ermineus Born, 1778 · accepted, alternate representation Conus aspersus G. B. Sowerby II, 1833 Conus caerulans Küster, 1838 Conus coerulescens Schröter, 1803 Conus eques Hwass in Bruguière, 1792 Conus grayi Reeve, 1844 Conus inquinatus Reeve, 1849 Conus leaeneus Link, 1807 Conus luzonicus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792 Conus narcissus Lamarck, 1810 Conus oculatus Gmelin, 1791 Conus perryae Clench, 1942 Conus portoricanus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792 Conus rudis Weinkauff, 1873 Conus testudinarius Hwass in Bruguière, 1792 Conus verrucosus piraticus Clench, 1942 Cucullus barathrum Röding, 1798 Cucullus crucifer Röding, 1798 Cucullus cutisanguina Röding, 1798

Like all species within the genus Conus, these snails are predatory and venomous. They are capable of stinging humans, therefore live ones should be handled carefully or not at all.

Conus ermineus Born, I. von, 1778

Distribution

This species occurs in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico to South America; in the Atlantic Ocean off West Africa and the Cape Verdes; in the Indian Ocean off Tanzania.

Description

The maximum recorded shell length is 103 mm.^[3]

Conantokin-E is a toxin derived from the venom of Conus ermineus.

It is a fishing eating species. Utilizes specialized hollow harpoon like radula tooth to harpoon small fish and paralyze them with venom to facilitate swallowing.

Habitat

Minimum recorded depth is 0 m.^[3] Maximum recorded depth is 101 m.^[3]

Fresh-dead, crabbed shells are known from traps set at 150 metres depth: West coast Barbados.

Venom

Conus ermineus is a venomous species and capable of stinging humans, so it should be treated with caution. A delta-conotoxin (delta-EVIA) isolated from the venom of C. ermineus inhibits the inactivation of vertebrate Na + neural channels.^[4]