Conus | marine snail genus | Britannica (original) (raw)

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cone shell

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  In cone shell
  …(class Gastropoda) constituting the genus Conus and the family Conidae (about 500 species). The shell is typically straight-sided, with a tapering body whorl, low spire, and narrow aperture (the opening into the shell’s first whorl). Cones inject a paralyzing toxin by means of a dart; a few of the larger…
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gastropods

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  In gastropod: Reproduction and life cycles
  Many snails in the genus Conus cement up to 1.5 million eggs in capsules on the undersides of rocks. Opisthobranchs weave delicate ribbons of eggs in colourful gelatinous sheets—sometimes up to 50 millimetres (two inches) of ribbon per hour—that contain many millions of eggs. In these cases, the eggs hatch…
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