tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460788270738656369.post508219104866069410..comments2023-12-24T07:02:43.274+08:00Comments on Catalogue of Organisms: (Belated) Taxon of the Week: The Bishop's MitraChristopher Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11075565866351612441noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460788270738656369.post-28828943847677251482009-06-26T18:34:36.698+08:002009-06-26T18:34:36.698+08:00What Adam said, though I'll add that the mitri...What Adam said, though I'll add that the mitrid epiproboscis has been suggested to be a venom delivery system like that found in Conoidea* (conids, turrids and terebrids), though I suspect that this was always intended as an analogy rather than a suggestion of homology. At present, however, there's no evidence for venom in mitrids.<br /><br />*I'm rather disappointed by the wholescale adoption of the name Conoidea for this group, because Toxoglossa (poison-tongues) was such a cool and appropriate name.Christopher Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11075565866351612441noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460788270738656369.post-45363342909921882412009-06-26T15:35:40.709+08:002009-06-26T15:35:40.709+08:00Conus are indeed neogastropods, although they are ...Conus are indeed neogastropods, although they are not particularly close to mitrids within Neogastropoda, being more closely related to turrids (turret shells)and terebrids (auger shells). Mitrids on the other hand seem more related to muricids (murexes), volutids (volutes) and suchlike.<br />The darts of Conus are modified radula teeth, not homologues of the epiproboscis.Adam Yateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03046084686097124394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460788270738656369.post-13586330937325432952009-06-26T15:12:52.423+08:002009-06-26T15:12:52.423+08:00Are these critters closely related to Conus? The ...Are these critters closely related to Conus? The shell-form and proboscis seem reminiscent, and the epiproboscis sounds as if it might be homologous-- or associated with homolgs of-- the conefish dart.Allen Hazenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05098575774774203097noreply@blogger.com