| Drupa morum | |
|---|---|
 | |
| A shell of Drupa morum morum | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
| Order: | Neogastropoda |
| Family: | Muricidae |
| Genus: | Drupa |
| Species: | D. morum |
| Binomial name | |
| Drupa morum Röding, 1798 | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Drupa morum, common name the purple drupe or the Makaloa in Hawaiian is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails [1] .
The Drupa morum has a thick, globose shell with a low spire, large body whorl and flat base that covers the surface of the body as they grow; they can grow up to 5 cm. They also have a columella that has three strong, plicate ridges for the structure of the shell [1] . They have an outside layer of white with dark brown nodules with conspicuous groups of denticles. While in the inside appears a dark violet, narrow aperture with conspicuous groups of denticles [1] in the inside which is what they're most known for.
Drupa morum lives in the Indo-Pacific [1] where there is tropical and subtropical conditions [2] .
Habitat of Drupa morum include rocky shores [1] and in crevices among lower eulittoral rocks. As they are abundant in the lower regions, they are also found in the water to the depth of 30 feet where they are covered with coralline algae. [3] They typically live at a sea temperature of 25-30 degrees Celsius [4] with a salinity of 30-35 PSU. [4]
The Drupa morum also feeds on Eunicid polychaetes and limestone-boring invertebrates in addition to many crustaceans, fishes, sipunculids, and vermetids. [5]
