News in Brief Animals

Cone snail deploys insulin to slow speedy prey

Attacked fish turn into sitting ducks as blood sugar drops

extendable funnel-shaped mouth tube of the cone snail

SECRET WEAPON  The extendable funnel-shaped mouth tube of the cone snail Conus geographus engulfs live fish with some help from weaponized insulin produced by the snail.

Courtesy of Jason Biggs and Baldomero Olivera

By Susan Milius

- More than 2 years ago

Fish-hunting cone snails release insulin that can work as a weapon, sending nearby prey’s blood sugar plummeting and making the groggy fish easy for a less-than-speedy snail to catch.