The bite site might be painless and still be lethally toxic. Always seek an evaluation at the nearest emergency department. Do not wait for signs and symptoms of paralysis.Be prepared to provide mechanical ventilations with a bag valve mask or a manually triggered ventilator.Watch for signs and symptoms of progressive paralysis.Application of heat might help with pain management, but since TTX is a heat-stable toxin, the application of heat will not denature the toxin. Apply a pressure immobilization bandage.Clean the wound with fresh water, and provide care for the small puncture wound. (a) Geography cone (Conus geographus (Public domain)) (b) Queen Victoria cone (Conus victoriae) (c) cloth of gold cone (.Shell collectors (professional or amateur) may be at higher risk. The prevalence and incidence of cone snail envenomations are unknown but probably rare in divers and the general population. Cone snail venom is a mixture of many different substances, including tetrodotoxin (TTX). Envenomation will not necessarily be fatal, but depending on the species, the amount of venom injected, and the victim’s size and susceptibility, complete paralysis may occur, and this may lead to death. First aid focuses on controlling pain but may not influence outcomes. Unfortunately there is no specific treatment for cone-snail envenomations. Since all cone snails are venomous, err on the side of safety, and do not touch it. It’s difficult to tell whether a cone snail is inhabiting a given shell, as they are able to hide deep inside them. If you see a beautiful cone-shaped marine snail, it is probably a cone snail. Conus toxins affect the nervous system and are capable of causing paralysis, which may lead to respiratory failure and death. Signs and SymptomsĪ cone snail sting can cause mild to moderate pain, and the area may develop other signs of an acute inflammatory reaction such as redness and swelling. Cone snails administer stings by extending a long flexible tube called a proboscis and then firing a venomous, harpoonlike tooth (radula). Injuries typically occur when the animal is handled. Some species have adapted to colder waters. ![]() Cone snails live in shallow reefs partially buried under sandy sediment, rocks or coral in tropical and subtropical waters. There are about 600 species of cone snails, all of which are poisonous. ![]() Cone snails possess a harpoonlike tooth capable of injecting a potent neurotoxin that can be dangerous to humans. I'm not sure which fish finished him off they told me it was a tessalated moray, but I don't think morays eat snails.ĮDIT: I have more pics if anyone's interested, but I'll have to dig them up, it's been years.Cone snails are marine gastropods characterized by a conical shell and beautiful color patterns. The venom of fish-eating cone snails can be fatal to humans, with the textile and striated cones being highly venomous. When I sold my saltwater gear (I also had two other tanks), ol' Murder went back to the store, where they made the mistake of putting it in the predator tank. ![]() Every few weeks, we'd clean the coraline algae off its shell using tongs. So I bought the small tank on the counter, snail and all, and kept it at home for a couple of years. Now, they didn't even want it in the store. I looked it up on the internet and shared how deadly it was. No one knew what it was, not even the owner who also held it. My next question shocked them: "Is he still alive?" I asked where it came from, they told me the customer collected it, thought it was cool looking and sent it back. Carefully." Safe in a small coral tank on the counter, I got a better look. "Mike, do me a favor and put that thing in a tank. When I saw it, I knew instantly what it was. I walked in, and one of the employees, Mike, was holding a beautiful snail. Everyone was excited, the customer had done well. Shortly before I arrived that day, the customer's live animal shipment arrived. There were some beautiful fish and corals, though I don't remember anything. One guy, one of our best customers went to Hawaii, and sent us what he was allowed to collect on his permit. Some would even pull collection permits when traveling to exotic places, so they could collect their own animals, overnight them to us (in plastic fish bags of course), and we would acclimate them for the customer, so when they returned, they could add their catches to their tanks. Our customers were, for the most part, very dedicated reef tank enthusiasts (see r/reeftank for how enthusiastic they can be). ![]() If we didn't have it, we could get it for you, for a price. We had it all - corals, sharks, big tangs, moray eels, you name it. Several years ago, I worked in a saltwater aquarium store. When I first found r/OopsThatsDeadly, I immediately thought about this story and wanted to share:
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