Murex

Venus Comb Murex pecten screw

Murex is the name of a genus of snail from the family of whelks, which is represented in the Indo-Pacific.

Features

The dextral body of Murex species are broadly conical and have a bulbous body handling. The Siphonalkanal is straight and longer than muzzle and thread. The outer lip has a tooth-like projection, while the inner lip is smooth. The housing including the Siphonalkanals are occupied along axially extending ridges ( varices ), usually with many long and thin spines. The operculum is horny with the nucleus at the front edge.

A peculiarity in the anatomy of the males in all Murex species - unlike, say, in the Herkuleskeule made ​​earlier to this genre - is that the vas deferens at the base of the penis has a muscular wall and is fully operational during copulation to particularly powerful ejaculations.

The females lay from egg capsules in which the developing embryos are powered by Nähreier. The veliger larvae undergo phase by as plankton, which lasts only a few days usually. At the same species, Murex trapa, once a half -day planktonic phase and once a complete development was observed in the egg capsule.

Like other whelks the Murex species feed mainly on shelled molluscs.

History of systematics

Murex referred to in classical Latin, the purple snails of the Mediterranean, from which in ancient times the coveted purple was obtained, but also served as a source of food. Linnaeus described the genus in 1758 as a screw with one-piece spiral shell which is roughened by parchment-like seams and their mouth in an entire, straight or slightly ascending channel ends. He includes in this genus in addition to numerous whelks among other things, the conches one.

Over time, the extent of the genus has been more and more concentrated. Since the type species of the Great spidermind ( Murex tribulus ) has been established since the last revision of the genus include the designated in classical Latin as Murex Snails Herkuleskeule ( Murex brandaris ) and Blunt murex ( Murex trunculus ) not more to this genre. This includes rather only types of Indopazifiks.