Snails Sea Slugs and Limpets: Gastropoda

Physical characteristics: The shell spire is flat with knobby whorls. The shell opening is long and slightly expanded toward the front. The outer surface is marked with light, gold brown markings.

Geographic range: This species is found in the warm, tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific.

Habitat: They live around coral reefs, in sand, and on chunks of broken reefs.

Diet: They eat fishes, worms, and other snails.

Behavior and reproduction: They hunt at night. The radula has a few poison-injecting teeth that are used like harpoons and shot from the end of a long, trunklike proboscis. Fishes and other prey are hooked by the teeth and then pulled in.

The eggs are fertilized inside the female's body.

Geography cone shells have a few poison-injecting teeth that are used like harpoons and shot from the end of a long, trunklike proboscis. Fishes and other prey are hooked by the teeth and then pulled in. (Illustration by Emily Damstra. Reproduced by permission.)

Geography cone shells and people: The venom from their bite is very toxic and can be fatal.

Conservation status: Geography cone shells are not considered threatened or endangered. ∎