We fear things that we don’t understand, but occasionally we come across things that we do understand that are still terrifying. The Conus is one of these things. 

The Conus is a genus of carnivorous sea snails that prey on everything from marine worms to small bottom-dwelling fish. All Conus snails are venomous, and therefore capable of stinging human beings. Smaller snails can deliver stings no worse than a bee sting, but larger snails have stings that are incredibly toxic and can be fatal to humans. 

The video above shows you how a larger Conus species feeds. That elongated tongue-like organ which it extends from itself in an effort to grab the fish is actually a tooth. If you skip to around the 1:40 mark, you’ll see the snail swallow the fish whole. Happy Monday!

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