Another reef inhabitant is the fish eating tulip cone, Conus tulipa, 40mm, although they can reach almost twice that size. The shell has a wide aperture, limiting the animal's ability to fully retract into its shell. It has a highly venomous sting and needs to be handled with extreme caution. The white fringe beneath the siphon surrounds the proboscis, which can be stretched and extended to engulf a paralyzed fish.
1 March 2015