114 



EAST COAST fiARINE SHELLS 



ORDER STENOGLOSSA 



Family Murlcldae 



Shell provided with a straight pos- 

 terior canal; aperture entire; animal with 

 a broad foot. 



GENUS MUREX Linn4 1758 (ROCK SHELLS) 



Ornamented with broad longitudinal 

 varices, or rlb-llke thickenings, which 

 represent rest periods in the development 

 of the shell by the animal. 



The purple fluid which exudes from 

 these mollusks was utilized by the ancients 

 for a dye. Heaps of dead shells, largely 

 broken, beside caldron-shaped holes may 

 still be seen, as evidence, upon the Tyrlan 

 shore. 



The radula of M. tenuisplna is 

 shown in Fig. 25, page 19. 



MUREX BEAUI Fisher and Barnard!. In this 

 fine and remarkable species the adults from 

 rocky stations are frilled or webbed in 

 form. These are invariably from deep waten 

 Specimens from muddy bottoms and all young 

 shells are comparatively smooth, showing no 

 trace of the frills or webs. Range 82-183 

 fathoms . 



PI. 44, Fig. 3 



Cedar Keys, Florida to West Indies 



MUREX CABRITII Barnard! . An adult shell 

 may be pinkish white or of a fine uniform 

 pink, without dots or marking whatever. It 

 may be very spinous or the spines may be 

 absent entirely. It may be separated from 

 the other spiny Murlces by the short thick 

 spines when present. In 1880, when the Man- 

 ual was written by Tryon, only a solitary 

 specimen was known and that without habitat. 

 Since then it has been dredged in from 25- 

 164 fathoms. 



A specimen taken upon the beach at 

 Sanibel measures 55 mm. in length. It has 

 also been collected on the shore at Marco, 

 Florida. 



PI. 44, Fig. 1 



Marco, Florida, north and west to 



Texas; West Indies 



MUREX MESSORIUS Reeve. Almost spineless 

 but varices thick, crossed by elevated 

 lines, partly cut into tubercles, the lat- 

 ter sometimes developed into short spines; 

 no color dots or lines, epidermis heavy; 

 canal much shorter than in the preceding 

 species its nearest relative. Length rare- 

 ly more than 2 inches. 



This is a small species compared 

 with its cousins living in the Pacific. 



Fresh dead specimens have been tak- 

 en by the writer at Palm Beach and living 

 ones dredged on the Featherbed Bank in Low- 

 er Biscayne Bay, Florida. 



PI. 48, Fig. 7 



PI. 45, Fig. 10 



Palm Beach County, Florida to West 



Indies 



MUREX MESSORIUS RUBIDUM Baker. The deep 

 rose-pink form which apparently is confined 

 to the west coast of Florida. Except for 

 the color it agrees with M. messorius. It 

 is not infrequently found at Sanibel. 

 Cedar Keys to Marco, Florida 



SUBGENUS CHICOREUS Montfort 1810 



MUREX RUFUE Lamarck. Remarkable for its 

 frond-like spines which are most striking 

 near the outer lip and adjacent to the ca- 

 nal; color brownish, pinkish when worn; 

 aperture more rounded than in other species, 

 notched above; canal almost closed; about 

 ten ribs upon the body whorl. Length 1.5-2 

 Inches. 



This very attractive shell may eas- 

 ily be obtained at Sanibel and elsewhere. 

 The young specimens, as well as faded old 

 ones, are of a vivid or pale-pink color. 



PI. 44, Fig. 4 



Cape Fear, North Carolina to Carte- 



gena, Columbia 



MUREX BREVIFRONS Lamarck. This shell pos- 

 sesses long fronds in addition to spines, 

 also close revolving striae; one to two nod- 

 ules or knobs between the varices; interior 

 white or chocolate broTm. Length 3 inches. 



PI. 44, Fig. 2 



Cape Hatteras, North Carolina to 



Cartegena, Columbia 



SUBGENUS PHYLLONOTUS Swainson 1833 



MUREX FULVESCENS Sowerby (M. splnlcostatus 

 Val.). Whorls about eight, many prominent 

 spines which are often orange-brown in con- 

 trast to the thin light brown epidermis and 

 white shells; spines connected with raised 

 ribs; canal narrow, almost closed in part, 

 interior white; operciilum convex, dull out- 

 side, interior varnish-like, except central 

 portion or place of attachment which resem- 

 bles a large fingerprint. Length of shell 

 about 6 inches. 



