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Murex

{{Short description|Genus of gastropods}}

{{Other uses}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}

{{Automatic taxobox

| fossil_range = {{fossil range|125.45|0|Cretaceous - Recent}}

| image = Murex pecten shell 3.jpg

| image_caption = Apertural view of the shell of Venus comb murex, Murex pecten, anterior end towards the bottom of the page

| taxon = Murex

| authority = Linnaeus, 1758

| type_species= Murex tribulus Linnaeus, 1758

| synonyms_ref =

| synonyms =

  • Acupurpura Jousseaume, 1880
  • Aranea Perry, 1810 (Invalid: junior homonym of Aranea Linnaeus, 1758 [Arachnida])
  • Murex (Murex) Linnaeus, 1758· accepted, alternate representation
  • Murex (Promurex) Ponder & Vokes, 1988· accepted, alternate representation
  • Murex (Tubicauda) Jousseaume, 1880 junior subjective synonym
  • † Muricites Schlotheim, 1820 (Invalid under Art. 20: name established for fossils, formed by adding the suffix -ites to the genus name Murex.)
  • Tubicauda Jousseaume, 1880

}}

Murex is a genus of medium to large sized predatory tropical sea snails. These are carnivorous marine gastropod molluscs in the family Muricidae, commonly called "murexes" or "rock snails".Houart, R.; Gofas, S. (2010). Murex Linnaeus, 1758. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) World Marine Mollusca database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=138196 on 2011-04-09

The common name murex is still used for many species in the family Muricidae which were originally given the Latin generic name Murex, but have more recently been regrouped into newer genera. Murex was used in antiquity to describe spiny sea snails, especially those associated with the production of purple dye. Murex is one of the oldest classical seashell names still used by the scientific community.

Aristotle described these mollusks in his History of Animals using the Greek term πορφύρα (porphyra).{{Cite book |last=Aristotle. |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.19197 |title=History of animals in ten books |date=1902 |publisher=G. Bell |location=London}}

Etymology

The term murex originates from the Latin word mūrex, likely related to the Greek word μύαξ (myax), meaning sea mussel. The connection between these terms suggests a shared linguistic root, possibly linked to the Greek word μῦς (mys), meaning "mouse," due to the perceived resemblance between the shape of certain mollusks and mice.{{Cite web |title=murex {{!}} Etymology of murex by etymonline |url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/murex |access-date=2024-11-28 |website=www.etymonline.com |language=en}}

Fossil records

This genus is known in the fossil records from the Cretaceous to the Quaternary (age range: from 125.45 to 0.0 million years ago). Fossils of species within this genus have been found all over the world. There are about 25 known extinct species.[https://paleobiodb.org/classic/checkTaxonInfo?taxon_no=11385 Fossilworks]

File:Murex altispira 001.jpg

File: Muricidae - Murex spinicosta-000.JPG of Italy]]

Distribution

Murex is solely an Indo-Pacific genus, as demonstrated by Ponder & Vokes (1988). The species from the western Atlantic that were formerly considered to belong to the genus Murex are now placed in the genus Haustellum.{{citation needed|date=September 2021}}

Habitat

Most Murex species live in the intertidal or shallow subtidal zone, among rocks and corals.{{citation needed|date=September 2021}}

Shell description

This genus includes many showy members, their elongate shells highly sculptured with spines or fronds. The inner surfaces of their ornate shells are often brightly colored.{{citation needed|date=September 2021}}

Human use

Costly and labor-intensive dyes Tyrian purple (or "royal purple") and tekhelet were historically made by the ancient Phoenicians, using mucus from the hypobranchial gland of two species commonly referred to as "murex", Murex brandaris and Murex trunculus, which are the older names for Bolinus brandaris and Hexaplex trunculus.{{cite journal |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0245897|title=Early evidence of royal purple dyed textile from Timna Valley (Israel)|year=2021|last1=Sukenik|first1=Naama|last2=Iluz|first2=David|last3=Amar|first3=Zohar|last4=Varvak|first4=Alexander|last5=Shamir|first5=Orit|last6=Ben-Yosef|first6=Erez|journal=PLOS ONE|volume=16|issue=1|pages=e0245897|pmid=33507987|pmc=7842898|bibcode=2021PLoSO..1645897S|doi-access=free}} This dye is a rare animal-produced organobromine compound, which the snails make using a specific bromide peroxidase enzyme that operates on dissolved bromide in sea water.Jannun R., Nuwayhid N. and Coe E. (1981) Biological bromination – bromoperoxidase activity in the Murex sea-snail. FASEB. J. 40, 1774.

This dye was used in royal robes, other kinds of special ceremonial or ritual garments, or garments indicating high rank. It is hypothesised that the dye was the same dye as that which featured prominently in the ancient Temple in Jerusalem, the clothing of the High Priest of Israel officiating there; it is sometimes still used by Jews today in the ritual fringes (tzitzit) on four-cornered garments.[http://www.tekhelet.com Tekhelet - Biblical Blue Dye for Tzitzit] A consensus has yet to be reached regarding the Biblical source of the "blue" dye, though the latest archeological research on dyes in this region indicates that it was indeed the Murex trunculus snail that was used for the famous tekhelet ancient dye.{{Cite web |last=Newman |first=Marissa |title=Linking ancient snails to an Israeli flag in space, a common thread |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/linking-ancient-snails-to-an-israeli-flag-in-space-a-common-thread/ |access-date=2025-02-02 |website=www.timesofisrael.com |language=en-US}}

Species

The genus Murex, as originally defined by Linnaeus, encompassed many taxa that are now placed elsewhere in the superfamily Muricoidea. During the 19th century, the definition of Murex was restricted by Lamarck and his contemporaries first to species in the family Muricidae, and then was limited even further to the subfamilies Muricinae and Ocenebrinae. Malacologists of the 19th century including Kiener, Reeve, Küster & Kobelt 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 (WoRMS) lists the following species with accepted names within the genus Murex. The subgenera are considered alternate representations.[http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=138196 WoRMS : Murex] 23 December 2010

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;Species mentioned as species in current use in the Indo-Pacific Molluscan Database (OBIS) :

  • Murex singaporensis A.Adams, 1853[http://clade.ansp.org/obis/search.php/78425 Indo-Pacific Molluscan Database : Murex (Murex) singaporensis]

;Species brought into synonymy :

  • Murex aedonius Watson, 1896:{{WRMS species|404033|Murex aedonius Watson, 1896||25 April 2010}} synonym of Coralliophila aedonia (Watson, 1885)
  • Murex afer Gmelin, 1791: synonym of Afer afer (Gmelin, 1791)
  • Murex alocatus: synonym of Pterymarchia barclayana (H. Adams, 1873)
  • Murex antillarum : Antilles murex: synonym of Siratus articulatus (Reeve, 1845)
  • Murex argo Clench & Farfante, 1945:{{WRMS species|404013|Murex argo Clench & Farfante, 1945||25 April 2010}} synonym of Chicoreus (Triplex) spectrum (Reeve, 1846)
  • Murex belcheri Hinds, 1843 : synonym of Forreria belcheri (Hinds, 1843)
  • Murex bellus Reeve, 1845: synonym of Vokesimurex bellus (Reeve, 1845)
  • Murex blakeanus Vokes, 1967:{{WRMS species|404052|Murex blakeanus Vokes, 1967||25 April 2010}} synonym of Vokesimurex blakeanus (Vokes, 1967)
  • Murex brandaris Linnaeus, 1758: synonym of Bolinus brandaris (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Murex canaliculatus Linnaeus, 1758: synonym of Busycotypus canaliculatus (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Murex capitellum Linnaeus, 1758: synonym of Vasum capitellum (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Murex corallinus Scacchi, 1836: synonym of Ocinebrina aciculata (Lamarck, 1822)
  • Murex corneus Linnaeus, 1758: synonym of Euthria cornea (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Murex coronatus Born, 1778: synonym of Pseudovertagus aluco (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Murex edwardsii:{{WRMS species|404328|Murex edwardsi ||25 April 2010}} synonym of Ocinebrina edwardsii (Payraudeau, 1826)
  • Murex garciai Petuch, 1987: synonym of Vokesimurex garciai (Petuch, 1987)
  • Murex gubbi Reeve, 1849:{{WRMS species|404485|Murex gubbi Reeve, 1849||25 April 2010}} synonym of Chicocenebra gubbi (Reeve, 1849)
  • Murex inconspicuus G.B. Sowerby II, 1841: synonym of Ocinebrina aciculata (Lamarck, 1822)
  • Murex intertextus Helbling, 1779:{{WRMS species|447212|Murex intertextus Helbling, 1779||25 April 2010}} synonym of Cumia reticulata
  • Murex jickelii Tapparone Canefri, 1875: synonym of Naquetia jickelii (Tapparone Canefri, 1875)
  • Murex lindajoycae Petuch, 1987: synonym of Vokesimurex lindajoycae (Petuch, 1987)
  • Murex longicornis Dunker, 1864: synonym of Chicoreus longicornis (Dunker, 1864)
  • Murex maroccensis Gmelin, 1791:{{WRMS species|447206|Murex maroccensis Gmelin, 1791||25 April 2010}} synonym of Fusinus maroccensis
  • Murex monodon Sowerby, 1825:{{WRMS species|404048|Murex monodon Sowerby, 1841||25 April 2010}} synonym of Chicoreus (Chicoreus) cornucervi (Röding, 1798)
  • Murex nassa Gmelin, 1791:{{WRMS species|447213|Murex nassa Gmelin, 1791||25 April 2010}} synonym of Leucozonia nassa (Gmelin, 1791)
  • Murex nebula Montagu, 1803: synonym of Bela nebula (Montagu, 1803)
  • Murex peritus Hinds, 1844a:{{WRMS species|404692|Murex peritus Hinds, 1844a||25 April 2010}} synonym of Favartia (Favartia) perita (Hinds, 1844)
  • Murex pistacia Reeve, 1845: synonym of Ocinebrina aciculata (Lamarck, 1822)
  • Murex purpuroides Dunker:{{WRMS species|215660|Murex purpuroides Dunker||25 April 2010}} synonym of Vaughtia purpuroides (Reeve, 1845)
  • Murex recurvirostris:{{WRMS species|404738|Murex recurvirostris ||25 April 2010}} synonym of Vokesimurex recurvirostrum (Broderip, 1833)
  • Murex rota Sowerby:{{WRMS species|215633|Murex rota Sowerby||25 April 2010}} synonym of Homalocantha anatomica (Perry, 1811)
  • Murex rubidus:{{WRMS species|404752|Murex rubidus ||25 April 2010}} synonym of Vokesimurex rubidus (F.C. Baker, 1897)
  • Murex serratospinosus Dunker, 1883: synonym of Vokesimurex mindanaoensis (G.B. Sowerby II, 1841)
  • Murex subaciculatus Locard, 1886: synonym of Ocinebrina aciculata (Lamarck, 1822)
  • Murex taxus Dillwyn, 1817: synonym of Clavatula taxea (Röding, 1798)
  • † Murex textilis Brocchi, 1814:{{WRMS species|408592|Murex textilis Gabb, 1873||25 April 2010}} synonym of † Rimosodaphnella textilis (Brocchi, 1814)
  • Murex triqueter:{{WRMS species|404016|Murex triqueter ||25 April 2010}} synonym of Naquetia triqueter (Born, 1778)
  • Murex tulipa Linnaeus, 1758:{{WRMS species|447198|Murex tulipa Linnaeus, 1758||25 April 2010}} synonym of Fasciolaria tulipa (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Murex turbinellus Linnaeus, 1758: synonym of Vasum turbinellus (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Murex vittatus Broderip, 1833:{{WRMS species|404941|Murex vittatus Broderip, 1833||25 April 2010}} synonym of Favartia (Favartia) vittata (Broderip, 1833)

References

{{Reflist|30em}}

  • Merle, D., Garrigues, B. & Pointier, J.-P. 2011. Fossil and Recent Muricidae of the World, Part Muricinae. 648 pp., 182 colour plates, Hackenheim. {{ISBN|978-3-939767-32-9}}.
  • Ponder, W.F. & E.H. Vokes. 1988. A revision of the Indo-West Pacific fossil and Recent species of Murex s.s. and Haustellum (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Muricidae). Records of the Australian Museum, Supplement 8. 160 pp.

External links

{{Commons category|Murex}}

  • [http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/history_anim.4.iv.html Aristotle, 350 B.C.E. A history of animals]
  • [https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15936976 Sowerby, G. B. II. (1874). Monograph of the genus Mitra. In G. B. Sowerby II (ed.), Thesaurus conchyliorum, or monographs of genera of shells. Vol. 4 (31-32): 1–46, pls 352–379. London, privately published]

{{Taxonbar|from=Q311512}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Muricinae

Category:Extant Cretaceous first appearances

Category:Gastropod genera

Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus