Conus textile
Conus textile, Cod Hole, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
The Weber cone, the textile cone snail ( Conus textile ) is a snail from the family of cone snails ( genus Conus ), which is found throughout the Indo-Pacific. It feeds mainly on mollusks.
Features
The shell of Conus textile is broad, conical to ovate with convex to straight outline. It reaches in adult worm 4 to 15 cm in length, typically 9-10 cm. The basic color of the case is white, sometimes with blue, violet, beige, orange or pink hue. The surface of the body intercourse is covered by a network drawn dark brown lines that form a pattern characteristic of many white, dark brown edged triangles, squares or circles sometimes. In between are yellowish- light brown spots with dark brown axial lines, arranged in two to three interrupted bands. The color pattern resembles a cellular automata, namely Rule 30 according to Stephen Wolfram's classification. In particular, the Andordnung of triangles is similar to Rule 30, their regular areas form off at the base and top of the housing. The thread forms a flat, often concave cone. It is similar to the body dealing drawn. The periostracum is gray to yellow, thin, translucent and smooth.
Foot and head are white to pale yellow or pinkish- cream color. The top of the foot is light to dark brown mottled and provided on the edge with black spots, the front form a black lateral spot. In front is an orange- brown to red border with a central black spot. The sole is speckled brown and red front. Sensor and Sipho are mottled white and brown, the tip of the siphon is red. The proboscis is pale red, darker at the top.
Dissemination
The Weber cone is widespread throughout the Indo-Pacific and occurs in the Red Sea, in the Indian and Pacific Ocean from the coast of East Africa to Hawaii to Australia, New Zealand and French Polynesia on.
Habitat
Weber cone live in the intertidal zone of coral reefs and on the coast of the mainland to 50 m depth in areas with a sandy bottom, which may be covered with seaweed or even free from colonization.
Life cycle
Like all cone snails Conus textile is dioecious, the male and the female copulated with his penis. From the egg capsules hatch veliger larvae, which in turn undergo a metamorphosis into a snail. The egg capsules are 31 to 33 mm by 21 to 26 mm in size and each contain about 1300 eggs. The eggs have a diameter from 230 to 270 microns. From this it is deduced that the pelagic period of Veliger takes at least 17 to 21 days.
Food
The prey of Conus textile consists mainly of snails. Weber cones are also able to capture highly toxic fish or snail -eating cone snails, including Conus Conus striatus and pennaceus. In addition, polychaetes and small fish are eaten. Ravenous Weber cone also eat conspecifics. Even young animals immediately after their metamorphosis from the veliger larva to the finished worm eat snails. The venom is deadly for polychaetes, snails, fish and small mammals.
The prey is stung in the foot and immediately thereafter the proboscis with the venomous harpoon again. Overall, stabbed with a harpoon gear up to six times. Then the head is brought up to the mouth of the housing prey. The feeding process takes about 20 minutes.
Relevance to humans
Conus textile is due to its patterned housing a popular collector's item, so that man can be considered as a major enemy. He is, however, not included in the Red List.
Like other cone snails is the Weber cone his harpoon toxic not only to catch prey, but also for defense. Its fangs can penetrate gloves and wet suits. There is no antidote, so treatment aims to keep those affected by the removal of toxins alive.