Murex
Encyclopedia
Murex is a genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 of medium to large sized predatory tropical sea snail
Sea snail
Sea snail is a common name for those snails that normally live in saltwater, marine gastropod molluscs....

s. These are carnivorous
Carnivore
A carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of animal tissue, whether through predation or scavenging...

 marine
Marine (ocean)
Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology...

 gastropod molluscs in the family Muricidae
Muricidae
Muricidae, common name murex snails or rock snails, is a large and varied taxonomic family of small to large predatory sea snails. With approximately 1,600 living species the Muricidae represent almost 10% of the Neogastropoda. Additionally, 1,200 fossil species have been recognised...

, commonly calle "murexes" or "rock snails".

The common name murex is still used for a large number of species in the family Muricidae
Muricidae
Muricidae, common name murex snails or rock snails, is a large and varied taxonomic family of small to large predatory sea snails. With approximately 1,600 living species the Muricidae represent almost 10% of the Neogastropoda. Additionally, 1,200 fossil species have been recognised...

 which were originally given the Latin generic name Murex in the past, but have more recently been regrouped into different newer genera.

The word murex was used by Aristotle
Aristotle
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology...

 in reference to these kinds of snails, thus making it one of the oldest classical seashell names still in use by the scientific community.

Distribution

Murex is solely an Indo-Pacific
Indo-Pacific
The Indo-Pacific is a biogeographic region of the Earth's seas, comprising the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the seas connecting the two in the general area of Indonesia...

 genus, as demonstrated by Ponder
Winston Ponder
Winston F. Ponder B.Sc, M.Sc, Ph.D, D.Sc. is a noted malacologist from New Zealand who has named and described many marine animals, especially micromolluscs. He is a graduate of the University of Auckland, New Zealand....

 & Vokes (1988). The species from the western Atlantic that were formerly considered to belong in the genus Murex are now placed in the genus Haustellum
Haustellum
Haustellum is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.Ponder & Vokes and Vokes included American and Indo-Pacific species in Haustellum, which differ from Murex by lacking labral spine...

.

Habitat

Most Murex species live in the intertidal or shallow subtidal zone, among rocks and corals.

Shell description

This genus includes many showy members, their elongate shells highly sculptured
Sculpture (mollusc)
The sculpture of a mollusc shell is the three-dimensional ornamentation on the outer surface, as distinct from the basic shape of the shell itself or colouration. Sculpture may be concave as well as convex. Sometimes it has microscopic detail. Sculpture refers to the calcareous outer layer, not the...

 with spines or fronds. The inner surfaces of their ornate shells are often brightly colored.

Human use

Costly and labor-intensive dyes Tyrian purple
Tyrian purple
Tyrian purple , also known as royal purple, imperial purple or imperial dye, is a purple-red natural dye, which is extracted from sea snails, and which was possibly first produced by the ancient Phoenicians...

 (or royal purple
Royal Purple
Royal Purple is an American manufacturer which produces lubricants for automotive, industrial, marine, motorcycle and racing use. It is known primarily for its line of Royal Purple Motor Oil products for use in gasoline and diesel engines...

) and Tekhelet
Tekhelet
Tekhelet, , Tekheleth, Techelet or Techeiles is a blue dye mentioned 50 times in the Hebrew Bible and translated by the Septuagint as hyakinthinos . Its uses include the clothing of the High Priest, the tapestries in the Tabernacle, and the tassels to be affixed to the corners of one's garments...

 were historically made by the ancient Phoenicia
Phoenicia
Phoenicia , was an ancient civilization in Canaan which covered most of the western, coastal part of the Fertile Crescent. Several major Phoenician cities were built on the coastline of the Mediterranean. It was an enterprising maritime trading culture that spread across the Mediterranean from 1550...

ns using mucus from the hypobranchial gland
Hypobranchial gland
The hypobranchial gland is a glandular structure which is part of the anatomy of many mollusks, including different families of gastropods, and protobranch bivalves...

 of two species commonly referred to as "murex", Murex brandaris and Murex trunculus, which are the older names for Haustellum brandaris
Haustellum brandaris
Bolinus brandaris , and commonly known as the purple dye murex or the spiny dye-murex, is a species of medium-sized predatory sea snail, an edible marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or the rock snails.-Distribution:This snail lives in the central and western parts of...

and the Hexaplex trunculus.

This dye was used in royal
Monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...

 robes, other kinds of special ceremonial or ritual garments, or garments indicating high rank. It is theorized that the dye was the same dye as that which featured prominently in the ancient Temple in Jerusalem, the clothing of the High Priest (or Kohen Gadol
Kohen Gadol
The High Priest was the chief religious official of Israelite religion and of classical Judaism from the rise of the Israelite nation until the destruction of the Second Temple of Jerusalem...

) officiating there; it is sometimes still used by Jews today in the ritual fringes (tzitzit
Tzitzit
The Hebrew noun tzitzit is the name for specially knotted ritual fringes worn by observant Jews. Tzitzit are attached to the four corners of the tallit and tallit katan.-Etymology:The word may derive from the semitic root N-TZ-H...

) on four-cornered garments. A consensus has yet to be achieved regarding the Biblical source of the "blue" dye.

Species

The genus Murex, as originally defined by Linnaeus
Carolus Linnaeus
Carl Linnaeus , also known after his ennoblement as , was a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of binomial nomenclature. He is known as the father of modern taxonomy, and is also considered one of the fathers of modern ecology...

, encompassed many taxa that are now placed elsewhere in the superfamily Muricoidea
Muricoidea
Muricoidea is a taxonomic superfamily of predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the clade Neogastropoda.This superfamily includes the murex snails, the chank snails, the true whelks, the dove snails, the crown conchs and busycon whelks, the spindle and tulip snails, the volutes and...

. During the 19th century, the definition of Murex was restricted by Lamarck
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
Jean-Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet, Chevalier de la Marck , often known simply as Lamarck, was a French naturalist...

 and his contemporaries first to species in the family Muricidae, and then was limited even further to the subfamilies Muricinae
Muricinae
Muricinae is a taxonomic subfamily of predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks within the large family Muricidae, the murex snails and rock snails....

 and Ocenebrinae
Ocenebrinae
Ocenebrinae is a taxonomic subfamily of predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks. This subfamily is within the large family Muricidae, which are commonly known as the murex and rock snails....

. Malacologists of the 19th century including Kiener
Louis Charles Kiener
- Bibliography :* Kiener L. C. . Genre Pleurotome. . In: “Spécies Général et Iconographie des Coquilles Vivantes 5”. J. B. Baillière. Paris. pp. 17–84....

, Reeve
Lovell Augustus Reeve
Lovell Augustus Reeve was an English conchologist.Lovell Augustus Reeve was initially apprenticed to a grocer of Ludgate Hill between 1827 and '34...

, Küster & Kobelt
Wilhelm Kobelt
Wilhelm Kobelt was a German zoologist born in Alsfeld, Grand Duchy of Hesse. He specialized in the field of malacology.Kobelt is remembered for his work as curator of the Senckenberg Museum in Frankfurt am Main....

 and Sowerby treated all muricoid forms as belonging to Murex. This is the main reason why Murex has so many synonyms. The World Register of Marine Species
World Register of Marine Species
The World Register of Marine Species is a database that hopes to provide an authoritative and comprehensive list of names of marine organisms. The content of the registry is edited and maintained by scientific specialists on each group of organism. These taxonomists control the quality of the...

 (WoRMS) recognizes 1065 records, of which only a small number are still recognized as accepted names of Murex species.

According to the World Register of Marine Species
World Register of Marine Species
The World Register of Marine Species is a database that hopes to provide an authoritative and comprehensive list of names of marine organisms. The content of the registry is edited and maintained by scientific specialists on each group of organism. These taxonomists control the quality of the...

 (WoRMS), the following species with accepted names are included within the genus Murex
  • Murex acanthostephes
    Murex acanthostephes
    Murex acanthostephes is a species of large predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the rock snails or murex snails....

    Watson, 1883
  • Murex aduncospinosus
    Murex aduncospinosus
    Murex aduncospinosus, also known as the Short-spined murex, is a species of large predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the rock snails or murex snails....

    Sowerby, 1841 : Short-spined murex
  • Murex africanus
    Murex africanus
    Murex africanus is a species of large predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the rock snails or murex snails....

    Ponder & Vokes, 1988
  • Murex altispira
    Murex altispira
    Murex altispira, also known as the Caltrop murex, is a species of large predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the rock snails or murex snails....

    Ponder & Vokes, 1988 : : Caltrop murex
  • Murex balkeanus
    Murex balkeanus
    Murex balkeanus is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails....

    Vokes, 1967
  • Murex brevispina
    Murex brevispina
    Murex brevispina, also known as the Short-spined murex, is a species of large predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the rock snails or murex snails....

    Lamarck, 1822
    • Murex brevispina brevispina Lamarck, 1822 : Short-spined murex
    • Murex brevispina macgillivrayi Dohrn, 1862
    • Murex brevispina ornamentalis Ponder & Vokes, 1988
    • Murex brevispina senilis Jousseaume, 1874
  • Murex buccinatus
    Murex buccinatus
    Murex buccinatus is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails....

    Voigt, 1834
  • Murex concinnus
    Murex concinnus
    Murex concinnus is a species of large predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the rock snails or murex snails....

    Reeve, 1845
  • Murex djarianensis
    Murex djarianensis
    Murex djarianensis is a species of large predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the rock snails or murex snails....

    Martin, 1895
    • Murex djarianensis poppei (synonym : Murex (Murex) poppei Houart, 1979)
  • Murex echinodes Houart, 2011
  • Murex huangi Houart, 2010
  • Murex hystricosus
    Murex hystricosus
    Murex hystricosus is a species of large predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the rock snails or murex snails....

    Houart & Dharma, 2001
  • Murex indicus Houart, 2011
  • Murex megapex
    Murex megapex
    Murex megapex is a species of large predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the rock snails or murex snails....

    Neubert, 1998
  • Murex ornamentalis
    Murex ornamentalis
    Murex ornamentalis is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails....

    Ponder & Vokes, 1988
  • Murex philippinensis
    Murex philippinensis
    Murex philippinensis is a species of large predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the rock snails or murex snails....

    Parth, 1994
  • Murex salomonensis
    Murex salomonensis
    Murex salomonensis is a species of large predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the rock snails or murex snails....

    Parth, 1994
  • Murex somalicus
    Murex somalicus
    Murex somalicus is a species of large predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the rock snails or murex snails....

    Parth, 1990
  • Murex surinamensis
    Murex surinamensis
    Murex surinamensis is a species of large predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the rock snails or murex snails....

    Okutani, 1982
  • Murex textilis
    Murex textilis
    Murex textilis is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails....

    Gabb, 1873
  • Murex troscheli
    Murex troscheli
    Murex troscheli, also known as Troschel's murex, is a species of large predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the rock snails or murex snails....

    Lischke, 1868 : Troschel's murex


Subgenus Murex (Murex) Linnaeus, 1758
  • Murex carbonnieri
    Murex carbonnieri
    Murex carbonnieri, also known as the Carbonnier's murex, is a species of large predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the rock snails or murex snails....

    (Jousseaume, 1881) : : Carbonnier's murex
  • Murex coppingeri
    Murex coppingeri
    Murex coppingeri is a species of large predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the rock snails or murex snails....

    E. A. Smith, 1884
  • Murex falsitribulus
    Murex falsitribulus
    Murex falsitribulus is a species of large predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the rock snails or murex snails....

    Ponder & Vokes, 1988
  • Murex forskoehli
    Murex forskoehli
    Murex forskoehli is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails....

    Röding, 1798
  • Murex kerslakae
    Murex kerslakae
    Murex kerslakae is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails....

    Ponder & Vokes, 1988
  • Murex occa
    Murex occa
    Murex occa, also known as the Harrowed murex, is a species of large predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the rock snails or murex snails....

    Sowerby, 1834 : Harrowed murex
  • Murex pecten Lightfoot, 1786 ': Venus comb murex
    Venus Comb Murex
    The Venus comb murex, scientific name Murex pecten, is a species of large predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the rock snails or murex snails....

    • Murex pecten soelae
  • Murex queenslandicus
    Murex queenslandicus
    Murex queenslandicus is a species of large predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the rock snails or murex snails....

    Ponder & Vokes, 1988
  • Murex scolopax
    Murex scolopax
    Murex scolopax, also known as the False venus comb or Woodcock murex, is a species of large predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the rock snails or murex snails....

    Dillwyn, 1817 : False venus comb, woodcock murex
  • Murex spectabilis
    Murex spectabilis
    Murex spectabilis is a species of large predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the rock snails or murex snails....

    Ponder & Vokes, 1988
  • Murex spicatus
    Murex spicatus
    Murex spicatus is a species of large predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the rock snails or murex snails....

    Ponder & Vokes, 1988
  • Murex spinastreptos Houart, 2010
  • Murex tenuirostrum
    Murex tenuirostrum
    Murex tenuirostrum is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails....

    Lamarck, 1822
  • Murex ternispina
    Murex ternispina
    Murex ternispina is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails....

    Lamarck, 1822
  • Murex trapa
    Murex trapa
    Murex trapa, common name the rare-spined murex, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc of the family Muricidae, the rock snails....

    Roding, 1798 : : Rare-spined murex
  • Murex tribulus
    Murex tribulus
    Murex tribulus, also known as the Caltrop murex, is a species of large predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the rock snails or murex snails....

    Linnaeus, 1758 : Caltrop murex
    • Murex tribulus spicatus
    • Murex tribulus tenuirostrum
    • Murex tribulus tenuirostrum africanus
    • Murex tribulus ternispina


Subgenus Murex (Promurex) Ponder & Vokes, 1988
  • Murex antelmei
    Murex antelmei
    Murex antelmei is a species of large predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the rock snails or murex snails....

    Viader, 1938
  • Murex protocrassus
    Murex protocrassus
    Murex protocrassus is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails....

    Houart, 1990

Species mentioned as species in current use in the Indo-Pacific Molluscan Database (OBIS) :
  • Murex singaporensis
    Murex singaporensis
    Murex singaporensis is a species of large predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the rock snails or murex snails. -References:*...

    A.Adams, 1853


Species brought into synonymy :
  • Murex aedonius
    Murex aedonius
    Murex aedonius is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails....

    Watson, 1896 : synonym of Coralliophila aedonia
    Coralliophila aedonia
    Coralliophila aedonia is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.The World Register of Marine Species states that the subgenus Murex has been brought into synonymy with Pseudomurex Monterosato, 1872, leaving the status of Murex ...

    (Watson, 1885)
  • Murex alocatus : synonym of Pterymarchia barclayana
    Pterymarchia barclayana
    Pterymarchia barclayana is a species of large predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the rock snails or murex snails. -References:*...

    (H. Adams, 1873)
  • Murex antillarum : Antilles murex: synonym of Siratus articulatus
    Siratus articulatus
    Siratus articulatus is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails....

    (Reeve, 1845)
  • Murex argo Clench & Farfante, 1945 : synonym of Chicoreus (Triplex) spectrum
    Chicoreus spectrum
    Chicoreus spectrum is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.-Description:The shell size varies between 23 mm and 165 mm-Distribution:...

    (Reeve, 1846)
  • Murex brandaris Linnaeus, 1758 : synonym of Bolinus brandaris (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Murex edwardsii : synonym of Ocinebrina edwardsii
    Ocinebrina edwardsii
    Ocinebrina edwardsii is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.-Taxonomy:The following vatieties have been brought into synonymy :...

    (Payraudeau, 1826)
  • Murex gubbi Reeve, 1849 : synonym of Chicocenebra gubbi
    Chicocenebra gubbi
    Chicocenebra gubbi, common name : Gubb's murex, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.-Description:The shell size varies between 24 mm and 60 mm...

    (Reeve, 1849)
  • Murex intertextus Helbling, 1779: synonym of Cumia reticulata
  • Murex maroccensis Gmelin, 1791 : synonym of Fusinus maroccensis
    Fusinus maroccensis
    Fusinus maroccensis is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Fasciolariidae, the spindle snails, the tulip snails and their allies....

  • Murex monodon Sowerby, 1825 : synonym of Chicoreus (Chicoreus) cornucervi
    Chicoreus cornucervi
    Chicoreus cornucervi, common name Staghorn murex or Toothed murex, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the rock snails or murex snails.-Description:...

    (Röding, 1798)
  • Murex nassa Gmelin, 1791 : synonym of Leucozonia nassa
    Leucozonia nassa
    Leucozonia nassa, common name : the chestnut nassa, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Fasciolariidae, the spindle snails, the tulip snails and their allies.-Description:...

    (Gmelin, 1791)
  • Murex peritus Hinds, 1844a : synonym of Favartia (Favartia) perita
    Favartia perita
    Favartia perita is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.-Distribution:...

    (Hinds, 1844)
  • Murex purpuroides Dunker: synonym of Vaughtia purpuroides
    Vaughtia purpuroides
    Vaughtia purpuroides is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails....

    (Reeve, 1845)
  • Murex recurvirostris : synonym of Vokesimurex recurvirostrum
    Vokesimurex recurvirostrum
    Vokesimurex recurvirostrum, common name : the bent-beak murex, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.-Description:The shell size varies between 36 mm and 88 mm...

    (Broderip, 1833)
  • Murex rota Sowerby : synonym of Homalocantha anatomica
    Homalocantha anatomica
    Homalocantha anatomica, common name : "Pele's Murex" or "Anatomical Murex", is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.-Taxonomy:...

    (Perry, 1811)
  • Murex rubidus : synonym of Vokesimurex rubidus
    Vokesimurex rubidus
    Vokesimurex rubidus, common name : the rose murex, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.-Distribution:...

    (F.C. Baker, 1897)
  • Murex serratospinosus Dunker, 1883 : synonym of Vokesimurex mindanaoensis
    Vokesimurex mindanaoensis
    Vokesimurex mindanaoensis is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails....

    (G.B. Sowerby II, 1841)
  • Murex triqueter : synonym of Naquetia triqueter
    Naquetia triqueter
    Naquetia triqueter, common name : the three-angled murex, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.-Description:The shell size varies between 50 mm and 75 mm...

    (Born, 1778)
  • Murex tulipa Linnaeus, 1758 : synonym of Fasciolaria tulipa
    Fasciolaria tulipa
    Fasciolaria tulipa, common name the true tulip, is a species of large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Fasciolariidae.-Distribution:...

    (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Murex vittatus Broderip, 1833 : synonym of Favartia (Favartia) vittata
    Favartia vittata
    Favartia vittata is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.-Description:The shell size varies between 15 mm and 35 mm-Distribution:...

    (Broderip, 1833)

External links

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