Muricidae is a large and varied taxonomic family of small to large predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks, commonly known as murex snails or rock snails. With over 1,700 living species, the Muricidae represent almost 10% of the Neogastropoda. Additionally, 1,200 fossil species have been recognized. Numerous subfamilies are recognized, although experts disagree about the subfamily divisions and the definitions of the genera.

Many muricids have unusual shells which are considered attractive by shell collectors and by interior designers.

Shell description

Muricid shells are variably shaped, generally with a raised spire and strong sculpture with spiral ridges and often axial varices (typically three or more varices on each whorl), also frequently bearing spines, tubercles, or blade-like processes. Periostracum is absent in this family. The aperture is variable in shape; it may be ovate to more or less contracted, with a well-marked anterior siphonal canal that may be very long. The shell's outer lip is often denticulated inside, sometimes with a tooth-like process on its margin. The columella is smoothish to weakly ridged. The operculum is corneous and of variable thickness, with the nucleus near the anterior end or at about midlength of the outer margin.

Many muricids have episodic growth, which means their shells grow in spurts, remaining the same size for a while (during which time the varix develops) before rapidly growing to the next size stage. The result is the series of above mentioned varices on each whorl.

A mass of muricid egg capsules in a tidepool in [[Central California|left|thumb|200px]]

Life habits

Most species of muricids are carnivorous, active predators that feed on other gastropods, bivalves, and barnacles. The access to the soft parts of the prey is typically obtained by boring a hole through the shell by means of a softening secretion and the scraping action of the radula. Because of their carnivory, some species may be considered pests because they can cause considerable destruction both in exploited natural beds of bivalves, and in farmed areas of commercial bivalves.

Muricids lay eggs in protective, corneous capsules, the size and shape of which vary by species. From these capsules the crawling juveniles, or more rarely planktonic larvae, hatch.

Historical value

Members of the family were harvested by early Mediterranean peoples, with the Phoenicians possibly the first to do so, to extract an expensive, vivid, stable dye known as Tyrian purple, imperial purple, or royal purple.

The fossil record

The family Muricidae first appears in the fossil record during the Aptian age of the Cretaceous period.

Subfamilies

thumb|Numerous [[Hexaplex trunculus for sale in a fishmarket in Spain]]

thumb|Museum specimens of [[Chicoreus palmarosae (Lamarck, 1822), Naturalis]]

According to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi (2005) the family Muricidae consists of these subfamilies:

  • Aspellinae <small>Keen, 1971</small>
  • Coralliophilinae <small>Chenu, 1859</small> - synonym: Magilidae <small>Thiele, 1925</small>
  • Ergalataxinae <small>Kuroda, Habe & Oyama, 1971</small>
  • Haustrinae <small>Tan, 2003</small>
  • Muricinae <small>Rafinesque, 1815</small>
  • Muricopsinae <small>Radwin & d'Attilio, 1971</small>: synonym of Aspellinae <small>Keen, 1971</small> ( junior subjective synonym)
  • Ocenebrinae <small>Cossmann, 1903</small>
  • Pagodulinae <small>Barco, Schiaparelli, Houart & Oliverio, 2012</small>
  • Rapaninae <small>Gray, 1853</small> - synonym: Thaididae <small>Jousseaume, 1888</small>
  • Tripterotyphinae <small>d'Attilio & Hertz, 1988</small>: synonym of Muricopsinae <small>Radwin & D'Attilio, 1971</small> : synonym of Aspellinae <small>Keen, 1971</small> (junior subjective synonym)
  • Trophoninae <small>Cossmann, 1903</small>: synonym of Ocenebrinae <small>Cossmann, 1903</small> (junior subjective synonym)
  • Typhinae <small>Cossmann, 1903</small>
  • [unassigned] Muricidae

;Synonyms:

  • Subfamily Drupinae <small>Wenz, 1938</small>: synonym of Rapaninae <small>Gray, 1853</small>
  • Genus Drupinia [sic]: synonym of Drupina <small>Dall, 1923</small>
  • Genus Galeropsis <small>Hupé, 1860</small>: synonym of Coralliophila <small>H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853</small>
  • Tritoninae <small>Gray, 1847</small>: synonym of Ranellidae <small>Gray, 1854</small> (Invalid: type genus placed on the Official Index by Opinion 886 [junior homonym of Triton Linnaeus, 1758])

<gallery style="text-align:center;" mode="packed">

Image:Babelomurex nagahorii 01.JPG|Babelomurex nagahorii

Image:Bolinus cornutus 01.jpg|Bolinus cornutus

Image:Chicomurex venustulus 01.JPG|Chicomurex venustulus

Image:Chicoreus aculeatus 01.JPG|Chicoreus aculeatus

Image:Coralliophila fearnleyi 01.JPG|Coralliophila fearnleyi

Image:Drupa morum morum 01.JPG|Drupa morum

Image:Drupella cornus 01.JPG|Drupella cornus

Image:Hadriania trunculata 02.JPG|Hadriania trunculata

Image:Haustellum haustellum 01.JPG|Haustellum haustellum

Image:Hexaplex radix 01.jpg|Hexaplex radix

Image:Homalocantha zamboi.JPG|Homalocantha zamboi

Image:Indothais malayensis 01.JPG|Indothais malayensis

Image:Lataxiena fimbriata 01.JPG|Lataxiena fimbriata

Image:Latiaxis mawae 01.JPG|Latiaxis mawae

Image:Morula biconica 01.JPG|Morula biconica

Image:Murex pecten 001.JPG|Murex pecten

Image:Nucella lapillus 01.JPG|Nucella lapillus

Image:Ocenebra erinaceus fossil 01.jpg|Ocenebra erinacea

Image:Orania pacifica 01.JPG|Orania pacifica

Image:Phyllonotus evergladensis 01.JPG|Phyllonotus evergladensis

Image:Pteropurpura festiva 01.JPG|Pteropurpura festiva

Image:Rapa rapa 01.JPG|Rapa rapa

Image:Rapana bezoar 01.JPG|Rapana bezoar

Image:Rapana venosa 01.JPG|Rapana venosa

Image:Reishia bronni 01.JPG|Reishia bronni

Image:Siratus alabaster 01.jpg|Siratus alabaster

Image:Spinucella tetragona 01.JPG|Spinucella tetragona

Image:Stramonita haemastoma 01.JPG|Stramonita haemastoma

Image:Vokesimurex gallinago gallinago 01.JPG|Vokesimurex gallinago

</gallery>

References

  • Houart, R. (1994). Illustrated Catalogue of Recent Species of Muricidae named since 1971. 181 pp. [incl. 28 pls.], Verlag Christa Hemmen, Wiesbaden. .
  • Poutiers, J. M. (1998). Gastropods in: FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes: The living marine resources of the Western Central Pacific Volume 1. Seaweeds, corals, bivalves and gastropods. Rome: FAO. page 553.
  • Rosenberg, Gary (1992) The Encyclopedia of Seashells. New York: Dorset Press.
  • Vaught, K.C. (1989) A Classification of the Living Mollusca. American Malacologists, Inc., Melbourne, Florida.
  • CAAB listing for family Muricidae
  • George E.Radwin and Anthony D'Attilio: The Murex shells of the World, Stanford University press, 1976,
  • Pappalardo P., Rodríguez-Serrano E. & Fernández M. (2014). "Correlated Evolution between Mode of Larval Development and Habitat in Muricid Gastropods". PLoS ONE 9(4): e94104.
  • Miocene Gastropods and Biostratigraphy of the Kern River Area, California; United States Geological Survey Professional Paper 642