Conus ermineus, common name the turtle cone, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.
Like all species within the genus Conus, these snails are predatory and venomous. They are capable of "stinging" humans, therefore live ones should be handled carefully or not at all.
This species occurs in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico to South America; in the Atlantic Ocean off West Africa and the Cape Verdes; in the Indian Ocean off Tanzania.
The maximum recorded shell length is 103 mm.[1]
Conantokin-E is a toxin derived from the venom of Conus ermineus.
It is a fishing eating species. Utilizes specialized hollow harpoon like radula tooth to harpoon small fish and paralyze them with venom to facilitate swallowing.
Minimum recorded depth is 0 m.[1] Maximum recorded depth is 101 m.[1]
Conus ermineus is a venomous species and capable of stinging humans, so it should be treated with caution. A delta-conotoxin (delta-EVIA) isolated from the venom of C. ermineus inhibits the inactivation of vertebrate Na + neural channels.[2]