Dear Guido,
>we need about 50 specimens of Conus geographus, with the fresh animal
inside for biochemical research on the venon.
We have supplied a small number of this species for a biomedical research
project in Japan sometimes ago. The population density of this shell is
rather small and I worry that 50 live specimen is too much to ask because
such heavy pressure might decimate local population. It also would take many
weeks to collect that many. We do not know the early life history and
reproductive biology of this species. As we find only adults, almost no
juveniles, in the field, we should be cautious about intensive collection of
species with such a population structure.
Masashi Yamaguchi
Univ. of the Ryukyus in Okinawa