Here’s a video to help get you through this long Monday. It’s a brief clip showing a cone snail, noted for its very deadly venom, attacking and devouring a small goatfish. The snail is a slow assassin, inching closer to the sleeping fish, eventually paralyzing it with chemicals that it releases into the water. Once stunned, the fish can only sit idly by while it’s eaten. The snail opens and extends its mouth to completely envelope the fish, which is then pulled inward and killed with an injection of venom. The venom of the cone snail is quite a powerful tool. It is stronger than cyanide and can kill humans. There have been some reported cases of human death from cone snails, and with no antivenom, the victim stands a very slim chance if stung. Despite their deadly nature, cone snails are also of great interest to science, as researchers and chemists are constantly finding new uses for their venom for biomedical purposes.
Video originally found on Gizmodo.
