Muricidae, common names murex snails or rock snails, is a large and varied taxonomic family of small to large predatory sea snails. At least 1,000 species of muricids are known, and there are numerous subfamilies.

(Note: Gastropod taxonomy has been in flux for more than half a century, and this is especially true currently, because of new research in molecular phylogeny. Because of all the on-going changes, different reliable sources can yield very different classifications.)

Many muricids have unusual shells which are considered attractive by shell collectors and interior designers.

Shell description

The spire and body whorl of muricids is often ornamented with knobs, tubercules, ribbing or spines.

Many muricids have episodic growth, which means that the shell grows in spurts, remaining the same size for a while (during which time the varix develops) before rapidly growing to the next size stage. The result is a series of varices on each whorl.

Life habits

Most species of muricids are carnivorous, feeding on other gastropods, on bivalves, and on barnacles.

Muricids lay egg capsules from which the young snails hatch.

The fossil record

The family Muricidae first appears in the fossil record during the Aptian age of the Cretaceous period.

Subfamilies within the family Muricidae

• Coralliophilinae Chenu, 1859
• Ergalataxinae Kuroda, Habe & Oyama, 1971
• Haustrinae Tan, 2003
• Muricinae Rafinesque, 1815
• Muricopsinae Radwin & d'Attilio, 1971
• Ocenebrinae Cossmann, 1903
• Rapaninae (=Thaidinae) Gray, 1853
• Tripterotyphinae d'Attilio & Hertz, 1988
• Trophoninae Cossmann, 1903
• Typhinae Cossmann, 1903

References

• Rosenberg, Gary (1992) The Encyclopedia of Seashells. New York: Dorset Press.
• Vaught, K.C. (1989) A Classification of the Living Mollusca. American Malacologists, Inc., Melbourne, Florida.

External links

• CAAB listing for family Muricidae