2. Cone Snail
You wouldn’t normally associate snails with being poisonous, but this reef dwelling specie takes the cake. Hiding under the shell is a modified tooth that the snail shoots out like a harpoon to snare fish.
This tooth is hollow, barbed and lined with poison to instantly paralyze fish. However this poison is strong enough to kill a grown man. Members of the Conus specie have more than one harpoon, locked and ready to go at any one time. The harpoons fired by larger snails can pierce through gloves and wet suits, so humans are advised not to pick up these snails.
The venom of cone snails is complex and differs from specie to specie. Symptoms include localized pain, numbness and vomiting. Severe cases involve muscle paralysis, blurred vision, respiratory failure and death.
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