MARINE cone snails valued by shell collectors for beautiful patterns on the shells manufacture powerful venom to immobilize their prey of fish, worms and other mollusks. Only a few species of cone snails are highly dangerous to man. The most dangerous species are those that feed on fish. It releases a venomous cocktail into the water in order to stun its prey, then, like the other cone snails, it fires a harpoon-like, venom-tipped modified tooth into its prey.
The geography cone is the deadliest among 500 known cone snail species, and powerful enough to kill people. Among the compounds found in cone snail venom are proteins which, when isolated, have great potential as pain-killing drugs. Research shows that certain component proteins of the venom target specific human pain receptors and can be up to 10,000 times more potent than morphine without its addictive properties and side-effects.
Recent research has revealed that geography cone snail uses a form of insulin as a means of stunning its prey. Once this venom passes through a fish’s gills, the fish experience hypoglycemic shock, essentially stunning it and allowing for ingestion by the snail. The snail insulin could prove to be a useful tool for probing systems that the human body uses to control blood sugar and energy metabolism, the researchers said.
Across the world, however, tropical marine habitats are being lost due to coastal development, pollution, destructive fishing and climate change, resulting in rapid species loss. International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List by the researchers found that some species are at imminent risk of extinction. These snails need swift action to protect their habitats, otherwise, their loss could rob future generations of an undiscovered reservoir of pharmaceuticals.
