toxoglossan

Toxoglossan refers to a functional grouping of predatory marine gastropods that possess a specialized venom apparatus centered on the toxoglossan radula. This radula consists of modified, harpoon-like teeth connected to venom glands and used to deliver venom by shooting the tooth into prey. The term is most often applied to cone snails (family Conidae) and auger snails (family Terebridae), as well as related lineages that share this venom-delivery system.

Toxoglossan snails are largely tropical and subtropical marine animals found on reefs, sandy bottoms, and mud flats worldwide. They feed by envenomating prey rather than crushing prey with boring radula teeth; some species hunt fish with fast-acting venom, while molluscivorous and polychaete-targeting forms prey on other invertebrates.

Venoms are complex cocktails of peptides called conotoxins, each adapted to target specific neural receptors and ion channels. The resulting pharmacology has made toxoglossan venoms a rich source for research, and several conotoxins have been developed as drugs, notably ziconotide for chronic pain management.

Human stings can be extremely painful and, in some species, life-threatening. There is no universal antivenom, and treatment focuses on supportive care, with some cases requiring prompt respiratory and cardiovascular management.

Toxoglossan is a functional term, reflecting the shared venom delivery strategy rather than a strict taxonomic unit.