Conus omaria
Omaria Cone
Conus omaria is a molluscivorous snail, feeding on other snails. These snails prefer sandy patches in reefs and rubble. They hide during the day under stones or coral and feed at night. The generally live at low tide levels although some have been found as deep at 100 metres. The Omaria cone feeds on other snails, including cowries, olive snails, and conch snails.
The venom of Conus omaria is specialized to only affect snails. It does not affect fish or worms. There is ontogenetic evidence based on changes in the snail’s radular tooth that these snails once fed on worms rather than snails (Nybakken, 1990). This evolutionary change is an example of how a species may have adapted due to environmental changes in food available to hunt.
Classification
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Mollusca
Class Gastropoda
Order Sorbeoconcha
Family Conidae
Genus Conus
Species Conus omaria
