The picture above is a group photo of the conch shells. Each conch shell has a small spire. Does it look like taro? So they call it conus. The appearance of conus is also very similar to that of chicken heart, and it also has a name called chicken heart snail.
The snail shells on the back of conus have various patterns, and the colorful snail shells are very popular among collectors. However, what makes conus famous is not the snail shell with a unique pattern, but the highly toxic venom that seals the throat with blood.
Conotoxin, the most effective poison, stops the poisoned fish from struggling and waiting to be eaten in 50 milliseconds. The toxicity of conotoxin is not inferior to its speed, and 1 mg poison will kill adults. Humans who have been stabbed by conus can only live by providence, because so far, we have no antidote to conus toxin.
More than 800 species of conus have been found, mainly living on beaches, rocks or coral reefs in tropical oceans. Conus is the most abundant between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, and it is also found in Fujian, Guangdong and Taiwan Province Island. Small conus is only 1.3 cm long, while large conus can grow to 2 1.6 cm long. All conus, big or small, are poisonous, but the toxicity is different.
The toxicity of conus is related to their recipes. According to the recipe, conus can be divided into three categories: those who eat fish, those who eat mollusks such as other conchs, and those who eat insects. Conus eating fish is the most toxic, and conus that can kill people usually make a living by fishing. The worm-eating conus is the least toxic. Being bitten by it is similar to being stung by a bee.
Conus with venom doesn't need to chase its prey, just lurk in the dark and wait for a fatal blow to its prey when it comes to the door.
The picture above shows the body structure of conus conus.
Conus lurks in the sand, and siphons out from the mouth of the snail shell to breathe. When a fish swims by, the conus slowly sticks out its long nose and approaches the fish. When the long nose reaches the fish, it will project a harpoon carrying venom and stab the prey. The harpoon that shoots at its prey like a dart is actually a conus tooth, which looks like a hollow needle with a barbed needle and a needle filled with venom.
Once bitten by the poisonous harpoon of conus, the fish will be paralyzed in 50 milliseconds. Conus drags back the struggling fish with its long nose, stuffed it into Barry's big mouth like a pocket, and began to enjoy a good meal. After eating the fish, the conus spits out the undigested fish scales and bones together with the harpoon tied to the fish.
The picture above shows the harpoon of conus. Harpoon is a disposable item, so you should throw it away when you use it. If you miss the fish while fishing, the conus will spit out the used harpoon and replace it with another one. Its harpoon bag contains more than 20 harpoons, and there is always one that will be filled with venom and ready for use.
Poisonous harpoons are not only used for hunting, but also for defense. When you play at the seaside and pick up the beautiful conch shell near the shoal, the conch hiding in the shell is likely to throw a deadly harpoon at you. The harpoon thrown by the big conus can penetrate your gloves, diving suit and skin and inject venom directly into your body.
Conotoxin paralyzes the nervous system of small fish. Our nervous system is similar to that of small fish. Conotoxin has the same remarkable effect on us. Among a group of poisonous conus, conus terrestris is the most poisonous king. The poison king has another more appropriate name called "cigarette snail", which means that after the local conus snails stab you, you still have time to smoke the last cigarette in your life before your heart stops beating.
The picture above shows the poisonous king conus. The fastest venom can not only easily knock down the fish, but also easily knock down you. You will have symptoms of respiratory failure and cardiac arrest soon after poisoning. Because there is no medicine to solve, at this time, I can only give you cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and wait for the toxin to disperse slowly to save your life.
But don't worry, few people were stabbed by conus, and only 27 people were recorded dead.
Conus venom
The complexity of conus venom is much higher than that of other animals. Other poisons only carry one or two toxins, as long as they are toxic and useful. A drop of venom from conus conus is mixed with hundreds or even thousands of toxins. Thoughtful conus lest you have resistance to a certain toxin, produce all the toxins you can invent in advance and put them in its poison bag. There is always one for you.
Although the conus is small, there is not much venom in the poison bag. The mixed addition of various toxins is enough for you. As long as 1 mg of conotoxin can kill people.
In addition, the toxin carried by each conus is different from that of other conus. Like their colorful shells, the conus venom is also unique and colorful. Conus group is the inventor who likes to develop new toxins among the experts in the animal kingdom.
The toxin in venom is a bioactive polypeptide, which refers to a compound formed by dehydration of multiple amino acid molecules, and an active polypeptide is a toxin. At present, biologists have isolated 200 kinds of active peptides from the venom of a single conus, and it is estimated that more than 50 thousand kinds of active peptides can be isolated from the whole conus family.
Although conus is common, its complex venom should not be underestimated. Ranked among the top ten killers in the ocean, it deserves its reputation.