Entry in Microsoft Encarta OnLine Encyclopedia Cone (mollusk) MARINE SNAIL Cone (mollusk), common name for certain carnivorous marine gastropod mollusks (see Mollusk). Their shells have a regular conical form, with a narrow opening from the base to the apex of the cone through which the snails can extend. They inhabit shores and banks of sandy mud, chiefly in the Tropics. One large genus includes several species that secrete a venom that can be fatal to humans. The shells of many species are handsome and much prized. (More about snails). Scientific classification: Cones make up the family
Conidae. Species that secrete venom belong to the genus Conus.
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