Conus ermineus

Case of Conus ermineus

The ermine ermine tail or the tail - cone snail ( Conus ermineus ) is a snail from the family of cone snails ( genus Conus ). It is the only piscivorous Conus species of the Atlantic.

Features

After the first description of Conus ermineus by Ignaz von Born "has the pear-shaped reddish- yellow skin [ ... ] raised at the bottom dotted patrol, and snow-white cross belts. The bowl is pear-shaped, and smooth, gestreifet at the bottom gets in the way, and besezet on the raised strip with grains. The Schnirkel [ thread ] is conical. The Thread [ whorls ] smooth and a little flat. The color red yellow on the Schnirkel white spots, and surrounded by the body with zweyen interrupted transverse bands. The raised dots or grains are white. "

The housing achieved in adult worm has a length of up to 10.3 mm.

Dissemination

The ermine tail occurs in the Caribbean and the Atlantic coast of America, there are finds from the United States (Louisiana, Texas), Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, St. Vincent and Suriname.

Habitat

Ermine tail - cone snails live on the coast to 100 m depth.

Food

As a single cone snail Conus eats the Atlantic ermineus fish. The prey is first harpooned with the poisonous Radulazahn and then swallowed within a few seconds.