Bolinus cornutus

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Bolinus cornutus
Bolinus cornutus 01.jpg
Five views of a shell of B. cornutus from Mauritania
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Neogastropoda
Family: Muricidae
Genus: Bolinus
Species:
B. cornutus
Binomial name
Bolinus cornutus
Synonyms [1]

Aranea conspicua Perry, 1811
Murex (Bolinus) cornutus(Linnaeus, 1758)
Murex cornutusLinnaeus, 1758
Murex tumulosus Sowerby, 1841

Contents

Bolinus cornutus, or horned murex, is a predatory species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex or rock snails. [1] This species is common along the west coast of Africa, where it prefers moderately shallow waters. The shell of the snail is distinctively large, spiny, and club-shaped, usually pale brown or tan in colour, with an elongated and straight siphonal canal.

Description

Bolinus cornutus inhabits moderately shallow waters and prefers gravelled or rocky substrate. It is carnivorous and predatory. [2]

Although not as widely utilised as other murex species, such as Bolinus brandaris , Bolinus cornutus is one of the sea snail species from which a rich purple dye, generally referred to as Tyrian purple, can be extracted. The dye is a mucus from the snail's hypobranchial gland, which is secreted for defence and as an aid in predation. [2] [3]

Bolinus cornutus is protected by a large, thick, spiny shell, club-shaped and with a broad body whorl. The maximum length of the shell is approximately 200 millimetres. Its spire is low and the body whorl has six or seven varices, each varix forming two long, hollow spines. Short spines also spiral off the long, straight siphonal canal of the shell, which is narrowly open along its length. The buff or tan shell colour is interrupted on the body whorl by three darker brown spiral bands, spaced evenly. The majority of the ovate aperture of the shell is white, with an "apricot" shade on the lip edge, the inductura, and the parietal callus. Most of the outer surface of the shell is rough in texture. [2] [4] [5] [6]

Distribution

Bolinus cornutus is found along the Atlantic coast of Africa; it is not an uncommon species. [4] [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muricidae</span> Family of molluscs

Muricidae is a large and varied taxonomic family of small to large predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks, commonly known as murex snails or rock snails. With over 1,700 living species, the Muricidae represent almost 10% of the Neogastropoda. Additionally, 1,200 fossil species have been recognized. Numerous subfamilies are recognized, although experts disagree about the subfamily divisions and the definitions of the genera. Many muricids have unusual shells which are considered attractive by shell collectors and by interior designers.

<i>Bolinus brandaris</i> Species of gastropod

Bolinus brandaris, and commonly known as the purple dye murex or the spiny dye-murex, is a species of medium-sized predatory sea snail, an edible marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or the rock snails.

<i>Zeatrophon ambiguus</i> Species of gastropod

Zeatrophon ambiguus common name the large trophon, is a species of large predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Muricidae, the rock snails or murex snails.

<i>Murex trapa</i> Species of gastropod

Murex trapa, common name the rare-spined murex, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc of the family Muricidae, the rock snails.

<i>Chicoreus ramosus</i> Species of gastropod

Chicoreus ramosus, common name the ramose murex or branched murex, is a species of predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails. It is considered an economically important species in the Indo-West Pacific, especially in India.

Murex somalicus is a species of large predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the rock snails or murex snails.

<i>Pteropurpura festiva</i> Species of gastropod

Pteropurpura festiva, commonly known as the festive murex, is a species of predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the rock snails. Native to the Eastern Pacific, these sea snails grow to 34–67 mm in length.

<i>Chicoreus capucinus</i> Species of gastropod

The mangrove murex is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.

<i>Chicoreus elisae</i> Species of gastropod

Chicoreus elisae is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.

Chicoreus rachelcarsonae is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.

<i>Hexaplex fulvescens</i> Species of gastropod

Hexaplex fulvescens, the giant eastern murex or giant Atlantic murex or tawny murex, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.

<i>Homalocantha anatomica</i> Species of gastropod

Homalocantha anatomica is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.

<i>Morula lepida</i> Species of gastropod

Morula lepida is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.

<i>Muricanthus radix</i> Species of gastropod

Muricanthus radix, the radix murex or root murex, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.

Ocenebra subangulata is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.

<i>Vaughtia fenestrata</i> Species of gastropod

Vaughtia fenestrata is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.

<i>Vokesimurex elenensis</i> Species of gastropod

Vokesimurex elenensis, common name the (Santa) Elena murex, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.

<i>Vokesimurex sobrinus</i> Species of gastropod

Vokesimurex sobrinus is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.

<i>Bolinus</i> Genus of gastropods

Bolinus is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.

<i>Scabrotrophon stuarti</i> Species of gastropod

Scabrotrophon stuarti is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.

References

  1. 1 2 Bolinus cornutus (Linnaeus, 1758). Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species  on 24 April 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 Abbott, R. Tucker; Morris, Percy A. (2001). A Field Guide to Shells: Atlantic and Gulf Coasts and the West Indies. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 207. ISBN   978-0-618-16439-4.
  3. ↑ Joseph, Vercauteren; Chèze, Catherine; Triaud, J. (15–18 July 1996). Polyphenols 96: 18th International Conference on Polyphenols. Bordeaux, France: Editions Quae. p. 55. ISBN   978-2-7380-0796-4.
  4. 1 2 Radwin, George E.; D'Attilio, Anthony (1976). Murex shells of the world: an illustrated guide to the Muricidae. Stanford University Press. p. 29. ISBN   978-0-8047-0897-5.
  5. ↑ Ardovini, Roberto; Cossignani, Tiziano (2004). West African seashells: including Azores, Madeira and Canary Islands. L'informatore piceno. p. 142. ISBN   978-88-86070-11-9.
  6. ↑ Rogers, Julia Ellen (1908). The Shell Book. New York: Doubleday, Page & Company. p. 32. ISBN   978-1-4191-5292-4.
  7. ↑ Abbott, Robert Tucker; Dance, S. Peter (1986). Compendium of seashells: a color guide to more than 4,200 of the world's marine shells. American Malacologists. p. 138. ISBN   978-0-915826-17-9.
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