MURICIDAE 205 



completely. A deep water form, M. celhilosiis levimilus Dall (pi. 25J), of 

 more delicate sculpturing and with brown markings, is found off the coast 

 of North Carolina and eastern Florida. An inch-long, chubby subspecies, 

 nuceus Morch (pi. 251), with a shorter and wider siphonal canal and heavily 

 scaled varices, occurs in the West Indies but has been collected by Dr. J. S. 

 Schwengel on Tea Table Key, Lower Florida Keys, and off Fort Walton 

 by Mr. L. A. Burry, 



Subgenus Pterynotus Swainson 1833 

 Section Pteropurpura Jousseaume 1880 



Murex bequaerti Clench and Farfante Bequaert's Murex 



North Carolina south to Key W'est. 



1 to 2% inches in length. Spire high. No spines. Each varix is a high, 

 rounded, thin plate or web. Between these varical webs there is a single, 

 low, rounded nob. Color a uniform cream-white. A bizarre species which 

 is the least spinose of our American forms. It is being collected in dredging 

 operations along the west coast of Florida in increasing numbers, although it 

 remains a rarity. It was named after one of our foremost malacologists at 

 Harvard University, Dr. Joseph C. Bequaert. Dall identified this species as 

 Murex macropterus Desh. 



Murex trialatus Sowerby Western Three-winged Murex 



Figure 45c 



Northern California to Lower California. 



2 to 3 inches in length, with 3 large, wavy, wing-like varices per whorl. 

 Siphonal canal closed along its length. The body whorl between each varix 

 is smoothish, with or without one low, rounded tubercle, and sometimes with 

 2 to 5 weak, spiral cords or threads. Anterior face of each varix with fine, 

 crowded, axial fimbriations. Color grayish, dark- or light-brown, or with 

 white spiral bands. 



Typical trialatus from southern California and Lower California reaches 

 a length of 3 inches, is generally dark chestnut to blackish brown with 4 to 6 

 narrow white bands, and has very fine spiral threads which are sometimes 

 scaled, beaded or smooth. 



The subspecies carpenter! Dall (fig. 45c) — tremperi Dall and petri Dall 

 are ecological forms or color varieties, as is the all-white alba Berry — has 

 larger wings which are smooth on the posterior face. The color is generally 

 light yellowish brown, all-white or with 2 wide white bands. Common off- 

 shore. 



