Conus

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/conus

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Conus
2. What is a Conus snail?Conus snails are marine snails that hunt using a special sting. They have a long, hollow tooth that shoots out like a dart to deliver venom. This helps them catch fish, worms, and other snails.
3. How do Conus snails catch their food?They use a fast‑moving proboscis to shoot a venom‑filled harpoon. The venom quickly paralyzes the prey, so the snail can eat it safely. The whole process takes only a few seconds.

Gastropod: A class of mollusks characterized by a single, often spiraled shell and a muscular foot for locomotion.
Conotoxin: A class of highly specific neurotoxic peptides found in the venom of cone snails.
Bioprospecting: The search for valuable compounds and useful products from natural sources, such as plants and animals.