| WIlliam Cargile dissects a specimen of the gastropod mollusk Conus ermineus to extract its radula and radular ribbon on board the R/V Pelican, August 2008. The cone shell was dredged in the deep waters offshore Louisiana in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. The comparative morphology of the radula, the structure composed of rows of many small teeth used for rasping at food and scraping it into the mouth, is important in the taxonomy of cones. Other species of cones seen in this video clip include Conus stimsonii, C. armiger, and an undescribed species. Some shells are covered with epiphytic red algal crusts. Filmed and edited by Suzanne Fredericq in Lafayette LA. Cone snails are predatory sea snails that hunt and immobilize prey using a modified radular tooth along with a poison gland containing neurotoxins launched out of its mouth in a harpoon-like action. Cone venom shows great promise as a source of new, medically important substances. en.wikipedia.org This dredging expedition was sponsored by Dr. Cargile and also included other malacologists, and biologists from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette who study the systematics of mollusks, seaweeds and crustaceans. The expedition departed from LUMCON in Cocodrie LA, on board the R/V Pelican, a 32 m (105ft) ABS Class "A-1+ Oceanographic, steel-hull coastal research vessel operated by UNOLS. |
