''Conus magus'', common name the magical cone, is a species of
sea snail
Sea snail is a common name for slow-moving marine gastropod molluscs, usually with visible external shells, such as whelk or abalone. They share the taxonomic class Gastropoda with slugs, which are distinguished from snails primarily by the ...
, a marine
gastropod
The gastropods (), commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda ().
This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, from freshwater, and from land. T ...
mollusk
Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is e ...
in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
Conidae
Conidae, with the current common name of "cone snails", is a taxonomic family (previously subfamily) of predatory sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the superfamily Conoidea.
The 2014 classification of the superfamily Conoidea, groups onl ...
, the
cone snails
A cone is a three-dimensional geometric shape that tapers smoothly from a flat base (frequently, though not necessarily, circular) to a point called the apex or vertex.
A cone is formed by a set of line segments, half-lines, or lines co ...
and their allies.
Like all species within the genus ''Conus'', these snails are
predatory
Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...
and
venomous. Their venom contains
conotoxins which have powerful
neurotoxic effects. Given that they are capable of "stinging" humans, live cone shells should be handled with great care or preferably not at all.
The variety ''Conus magus'' var. ''decurtatus''
Dautzenberg, 1910 is a synonym of ''
Conus striolatus''
Kiener, 1848
Description
The size of an adult shell varies between 16 mm and 94 mm. This common species is very variable in pattern and shade of coloring and embraces a large synonymy. The moderate
spire
A spire is a tall, slender, pointed structure on top of a roof of a building or tower, especially at the summit of church steeples. A spire may have a square, circular, or polygonal plan, with a roughly conical or pyramidal shape. Spires are ...
is striate. The
body whorl
The body whorl is part of the morphology of the shell in those gastropod mollusks that possess a coiled shell. The term is also sometimes used in a similar way to describe the shell of a cephalopod mollusk.
In gastropods
In gastropods, the b ...
is long and rather cylindrical, closely striate below. The color of the shell is white, clouded with bluish ash, orange-brown, chestnut or chocolate, everywhere encircled by narrow chocolate interrupted lines, often separated into somewhat distant dots The middle of the body whorl is usually irregularly fasciate with white. The spire is tessellated with chestnut or chocolate.
Venom use
Ziconotide
Ziconotide (SNX–111; Prialt), also called intrathecal ziconotide (ITZ) because of its administration route, is an atypical analgesic agent for the amelioration of severe and chronic pain. Derived from ''Conus magus'', a cone snail, it is the ...
is a chemical derived from the ''Conus magus'' toxin that acts as a painkiller with a potency 1000 times that of morphine. Discovered by Dr.
Baldomero Olivera at
University of Utah
The University of Utah (U of U, UofU, or simply The U) is a public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the flagship institution of the Utah System of Higher Education. The university was established in 1850 as the University of De ...
, it was developed for treatment of chronic and intractable pain caused by
AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...
,
cancer
Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
,
neurological disorder
A neurological disorder is any disorder of the nervous system. Structural, biochemical or electrical abnormalities in the brain, spinal cord or other nerves can result in a range of symptoms. Examples of symptoms include paralysis, muscle weakn ...
s and other maladies, and was approved by the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food s ...
in December 2004 under the name
Prialt
Ziconotide (SNX–111; Prialt), also called intrathecal ziconotide (ITZ) because of its administration route, is an atypical analgesic agent for the amelioration of severe and chronic pain. Derived from ''Conus magus'', a cone snail, it is the ...
.
Ziconotide works by blocking
calcium channel
A calcium channel is an ion channel which shows selective permeability to calcium ions. It is sometimes synonymous with voltage-gated calcium channel, although there are also ligand-gated calcium channels.
Comparison tables
The following tables e ...
s in pain-transmitting nerve cells, rendering them unable to transmit pain signals to the brain. It is administered through injection into the
spinal fluid.
Distribution
This marine species occurs in the
Red Sea
The Red Sea ( ar, البحر الأحمر - بحر القلزم, translit=Modern: al-Baḥr al-ʾAḥmar, Medieval: Baḥr al-Qulzum; or ; Coptic: ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϩⲁϩ ''Phiom Enhah'' or ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϣⲁⲣⲓ ''Phiom ǹšari''; T ...
and in the Indian Ocean off
Madagascar
Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...
and the
Mascarene Basin. It is also found over a wide area of the Pacific Ocean from
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
to
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
and to the
Marshall Islands
The Marshall Islands ( mh, Ṃajeḷ), officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands ( mh, Aolepān Aorōkin Ṃajeḷ),'' () is an independent island country and microstate near the Equator in the Pacific Ocean, slightly west of the Internati ...
,
Wallis and Futuna
Wallis and Futuna, officially the Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands (; french: Wallis-et-Futuna or ', Fakauvea and Fakafutuna: '), is a French island collectivity in the South Pacific, situated between Tuvalu to the northwest, Fiji ...
and
Fiji
Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...
, but mainly centered on the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
; off Australia (
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
).
References
Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Editio decima, reformata. Laurentius Salvius: Holmiae. ii, 824 pp
* Bernardi, A. B., 1860. ''Description d'une espèce nouvelle.'' Journal de Conchyliologie 8: 331–332
* Bruguière, M. 1792. ''Encyclopédie Méthodique ou par ordre de matières. Histoire naturelle des vers.'' Paris : Panckoucke Vol. 1 i–xviii, 757 pp.
* Röding, P.F. 1798. ''Museum Boltenianum sive Catalogus cimeliorum e tribus regnis naturae quae olim collegerat Joa''. Hamburg : Trappii 199 pp.
* Swainson, W. 1822. ''Zoological Illustrations; or Original Figures and Descriptions of new, rare, or interesting Animals, selected chiefly from the classes of Ornithology, Entomology, and Conchology, and arranged on the principles of Cuvier and other modern zoologists. Series 1''. London : Baldwin, Cradock & Joy Vol. 3 pls 84–134.
* Reeve, L.A. 1843. ''Descriptions of new species of shells figured in the 'Conchologia Iconica'.'' Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 11: 169–197
* Reeve, L.A. 1849. ''Monograph of the genus Conus''. pls 4–9 in Reeve, L.A. (ed). Conchologia Iconica. London : L. Reeve & Co. Vol. 1.
* Adams, A. 1854. ''Descriptions of new species of the Genus Conus, from the collection of Hugh Cuming, Esq.'' Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1853(21): 116–119
* Sowerby, G.B. 1857–1858. ''Monograph of the genus Conus''. 1–56, pls 1–24 in Thesaurus conchyliorum or monographs of genera of shells. London : Sowerby Vol. 3.
* Bernardi, M. 1860. ''Descriptions d'espèces nouvelles''. Journal de Conchyliologie 8: 332
* Boivin, A. 1864. ''Descriptions de cinq espèces nouvelles du genre Conus''. Journal de Conchyliologie 12: 33–40
* Crosse, H. 1865. ''Description de cones nouveaux provenant de la collection Cuming.'' Journal de Conchyliologie 13: 299–315
* Sowerby, G.B. 1866. ''Monograph of the genus Conus''. pp. 328–329 in Thesaurus Conchyliorum, or monographs of genera of shells. London : Sowerby, G.B. Vol. 3.
* Weinkauff, H.C. 1875. ''Conus''. pp. 311–316 in Küster, H.C., Martini, F.W. & Chemnitz, J.H. (eds). Systematisches Conchylien-Cabinet von Martini und Chemnitz. Nürnberg : Bauer & Raspe Vol. 4.
* Smith, E.A. 1876. ''A list of marine shells, chiefly from the Solomon Islands, with descriptions of several new species.'' Journal of the Linnean Society of London, Zoology 12: 535–562, pl. 30
* Oostingh, C.H. 1925. ''Report on a collection of recent shells from Obi and Halmahera, Molluccas.'' Mededeelingen van de Landbouwhoogeschool te Wageningen 29(1): 1–362
* Demond, J. 1957. ''Micronesian reef associated gastropods.'' Pacific Science 11(3): 275–341, fig. 2, pl. 1
* Gillett, K. & McNeill, F. 1959. T''he Great Barrier Reef and Adjacent Isles: a comprehensive survey for visitor, naturalist and photographer''. Sydney : Coral Press 209 pp.
* Rippingale, O.H. & McMichael, D.F. 1961. ''Queensland and Great Barrier Reef Shells.'' Brisbane : Jacaranda Press 210 pp.
* Cotton, B.C. 1964. ''Molluscs of Arnhem Land.'' Records of the American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land 4 (Zoology): 9–43
* Wilson, B.R. & Gillett, K. 1971. ''Australian Shells: illustrating and describing 600 species of marine gastropods found in Australian waters''. Sydney : Reed Books 168 pp.
* Hinton, A. 1972. ''Shells of New Guinea and the Central Indo-Pacific''. Milton : Jacaranda Press xviii 94 pp.
* Shikama, T. 1977. ''Descriptions of new and noteworthy
icGastropoda from Western Oceans''. Science Reports of the Yokohama National University 24(2): 9–23
* Cernohorsky, W.O. 1978. ''Tropical Pacific Marine Shells''. Sydney : Pacific Publications 352 pp., 68 pls.
* Motta, A.J. da 1982. ''Seventeen new cone shell names (Gastropoda: Conidae).'' Publicaçoes Ocasionais da Sociedade Portuguesa de Malacologia 1: 1–26
* Motta, A.J. da 1983. ''Two new species of the genus Conus (Gastropoda: Conidae)''. Publicaçoes Ocasionais da Sociedade Portuguesa de Malacologia 2: 1–9
* Vine, P. (1986). ''Red Sea Invertebrates''. Immel Publishing, London. 224 pp
* Wilson, B. 1994. ''Australian Marine Shells. Prosobranch Gastropods''. Kallaroo, WA : Odyssey Publishing Vol. 2 370 pp.
*-Röckel, D., Korn, W. & Kohn, A.J. 1995. ''Manual of the Living Conidae. Volume 1: Indo-Pacific Region''. Wiesbaden : Hemmen 517 pp.
* Filmer R.M. (2001). ''A Catalogue of Nomenclature and Taxonomy in the Living Conidae 1758–1998.'' Backhuys Publishers, Leiden. 388pp
* Tucker J.K. (2009). ''Recent cone species database''. 4 September 2009 Edition
* Tucker J.K. & Tenorio M.J. (2009) ''Systematic classification of Recent and fossil conoidean gastropods''. Hackenheim: Conchbooks. 296 pp
Puillandre N., Duda T.F., Meyer C., Olivera B.M. & Bouchet P. (2015). ''One, four or 100 genera? A new classification of the cone snails.'' Journal of Molluscan Studies. 81: 1–23
Gallery
File:Conus magus 1.jpg, ''Conus magus'' Linnaeus, C., 1758
File:Conus magus 2.jpg, ''Conus magus'' Linnaeus, C., 1758
File:Conus magus 3.jpg, ''Conus magus'' Linnaeus, C., 1758
File:Conus magus 4.jpg, ''Conus magus'' Linnaeus, C., 1758
External links
The ''Conus'' Biodiversity website*
Cone Shells – Knights of the SeaHolotype in MNHN, Paris
{{DEFAULTSORT:Conus Magus
magus
Gastropods described in 1758
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus