MU RIGID AE 203 



Outer lip crenulate and with 3 or 4 daubs of dark-brown. A very common 

 shallow water species. 



Section Muricanthus Swainson 1840 

 Murex fuhescens Sowerby Giant Eastern Murex 



Plate lob 



North Carolina to Florida and to Texas. 



5 to 7 inches in length. Characterized by the large shell, and the strong, 

 straight, rather short spines. Exterior milky-white to dirty-gray. Aperture 

 enamel white. Thin spiral color lines are usually prominent on the whorls. 

 Fairly common along the shallow areas of northeastern Florida where they 

 are found abundantly during the breeding season. Well-known to the shrimp 

 fishermen whose nets often ensnare them. Murex burryi Clench and Far- 

 fante is probably the young of this species. 



Section Murexiella Clench and Farfante 1945 

 Murex hidalgoi Crosse Hidalgo's Murex 



Figure 45a 



North Carolina to the Lesser Antilles. 



I to 1/4 inches in length. Spines frondose and long, with webbing in 

 between which is exquisitely sculptured with scale-like lamellations. Color 

 grayish white to cream. This is probably the rarest of our eastern Murex 

 species. Recently, one specimen was dredged oif northeast Florida in a few 

 fathoms of water. 



Subgenus Chicoreus Montfort 18 10 

 Murex brevifrons Lamarck West Indian Murex 



Plate loa 



Lower Florida Keys and the West Indies. 



3 to 6 inches in length. Numerous, stout, fairly long spines on the 

 varices which arch backwards and bear sharp fronds. Raised, spiral lines 

 prominent between the varices. Color variable from cream to dark-brown. 

 Uncommon in the Lower Keys, but fairly common to abundant in the West 

 Indies. Percy Morris (1951, pi. 14, fig. i) labels this species as Murex 

 fiorifer. 



Murex fiorifer Reeve Lace Murex 



Plate loe 



South half of Florida and the West Indies. 



I to 3 inches in length. Aperture small, nearly round. 8 to 10 crowded. 



