That Pretty Shell is DEADLY

I was diving the other day with Thom and Shorelinescuba.com in Hullover Bay, St John USVI. The Caribbean diving in St. John is maybe 2nd best to St Croix diving. We always find Conch shells and look to see if they are alive. Note to former Dive Students: I never touched the marine life. But someone else picked up this pretty shell and then it hit me like lightning the "TOP 10 DEADLIEST MARINE CREATURES" that runs on the Animal Plants every night after midnight.

THE CONE SHELL NUMBER 3 (I made the number up my memory is not that good)

So if you are planning a Caribbean diving trip then you should probably read the following.

Cone shells are another venomous organism of the Caribbean reef. The cone shell or cone snail is actually any of several marine snails from the phylum Mollusca, subclass Prosobranchia and the class Gastropoda, that comprise the genus Conus and family Conidae. Conidae contains about 400 species of snails. Usually it is straight sided having a low spire with tapering body whorl (one of the turns or volitions of a spiral shell), and narrow aperture, or opening into the first whorl in the shell. The Cone shell injects a highly poisonous paralyzing toxin by means of a dart-like mechanism near the tip; a few of the larger species have fatally stung humans. Wow! Did you get all that? In laymen term, it is a pretty shell with a deadly sting.

Their usual prey is worms and mollusks and an occasional small fish. The length of their shells can range from 1-5 inches. Colors of the shells vary from bland grayish/brownish to very brightly color. The cone shells reside mainly in tropical and subtropical waters. They are mainly shallow water dwellers and are often associated with coral reefs. The cone shells are mainly nocturnal while hiding during the day on the sandy bottom.

Cone shells are predators and are divided into three main groups; the ones that feed on worms, the ones that feed on mollusks and the ones that feed on fish. The last group is the most deadly for humans. These cone shells are called the piscivores, Cones have modified radular teeth. These teeth are detachable and can act like a spear gun. When the cone makes contact with its prey, its radular tooth is shot out, piercing the victim’s skin and injecting its venom. This venom is very effective at paralyzing and eventually killing the prey before it’s ingested. The most poisonous cone shells have killed humans, while others may have weaker effects. Swelling will usually occur and numbness may spread quickly throughout the entire body. Muscle paralysis has been involved in severe cases. The venom of cone shells is thought to be a competitor for acetylcholine receptors at neuromuscular junctions.

The impact of cone shell envenomation on humans seems to be minimal. The greatest number of reported stings occurs in the Indo-Pacific area. Why Indo-Pacific you may ask? The answer is because the most valuable shells are found in this area. Some species may bring in $2,000-$4,000 by these collectors. One of the most sought after cone shell by collectors is the shell of the Glory of the Seas cone snail (Conus gloriamaris). Glory of the sea has special significance because for many years it was one of the most desirable and considered one of the rarest, shells in the world. Glory of the Sea has an elegant beauty, and moderate rarity even today, which continues to elevate the Glory of the Seas above most other cones in terms of desirability.