The evolutionarily unique and ecologically diverse family Conidae presents fundamental
opportunities for marine pharmacology research and drug discovery. The focus of this
investigation is to summarize the worldwide distribution of Conus and their species
diversity with special reference to the Indian coast. In addition, this study will contribute to
understanding the structural properties of conotoxin and therapeutic application of Conus
venom peptides. Cone snails can inject a mix of various conotoxins and these venoms are
their major weapon for prey capture, and may also have other biological purposes, and
some of these conotoxins fatal to humans. Conus venoms contain a remarkable diversity of
pharmacologically active small peptides; their targets are an iron channel and receptors in
the neuromuscular system. Interspecific divergence is pronounced in venom peptide genes,
which is generally attributed to their species specific biotic interactions. There is a notable
interspecific divergence observed in venom peptide genes, which can be justified as of biotic
interactions that stipulate species peculiar habitat and ecology of cone snails. There are several
conopeptides used in clinical trials and one peptide (Ziconotide) has received FDA approval for
treatment of pain. This perspective provides a comprehensive overview of the distribution of
cone shells and focus on the molecular approach in documenting their taxonomy and diversity
with special reference to geographic distribution of Indian cone snails, structu