Contents and search bar Index of flora Index of fauna
	Kingdom Animale | Phylum Mollusca | Class Gastropoda

Spiny Murex Murex martineanus Family Muricidae These snails are usually found in shallow sublittoral waters, but dead shells are occasionally washed up on the shore. Carnivorous in habit, they use their rasping teeth (radula) to bore into other shellfish, mainly bivalves. (Shell 6-8cm). Mangrove Murex Chicoreus capucinus Family Muricidae The mangrove murex (length 3-4cm) is shown alongside its prey, the mud clam Coecella horsfieldi. Note the neat round hole drilled in the bivalve. It also attacks barnacles. A larger relative, C. adustus, with more pronounced sculpturing on its shell is found on rocky shores. Muricids lay characteristic egg cases (0.5 to 0.8cm height) which contain many developing larvae. These cases are often found under hard substrates. In the past, rnuricids were the main gastropods from which the prestige dye, "Tyrian Purple" was extracted. Thais and Morula Family Muricidae Thais echinulata and Morula are common on rocky shores while Thais carinifera prefers muddy/sandy substrates in deeper water (although its shells are commonly washed up on the shore). They have similar habits as other muricids. Morula Thais echinulata Thais carinifera

Introduction Shore environment

From A Guide to Seashore Life by Dr Leo W H Tan and Peter K L Ng Published by the Singapore Science Centre and sponsored by BP @Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research and Singapore Science Centre