Textile Cone Snail: Conus textile

Conus textile is a species of cone snail known as the "cloth of gold." [1] It lives in the waters of the Indo-Pacific, Australia, the Indian Ocean from eastern Africa to Hawaii, and French Polynesia. Typical length of adults is about 9.0 cm (3.5 in).

It uses a conotoxin to kill its prey. The animal uses microscopic needles to inject the toxin into its prey. The proboscis, the tip of which holds the harpoon-like radular tooth, is capable of being extended to any part of its own shell. The living animal is a risk to any person handling it who has not taken proper care to protect exposed skin. Several human deaths have been attributed to this species.

The female lays several hundred eggs at a time, which hatch after about 16 or 17 days. After hatching, the larvae float around in the current for approximately 16 days. Afterward, they settle at the bottom of the ocean. By this point their length is about 1.5 mm (0.06 in).

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