Hexaplex trunculus
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Hexaplex trunculus is a medium-sized sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Muricidae, the murex shells or rock snails. It is included in the subgenus Trunculariopsis.
Hexaplex trunculus Purpurschnecke
Hexaplex trunculus
Compilations of commonly found species of Hexaplex trunculus
Apertural view of a shell
Bolinus brandaris
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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 mollusc in the family Muricidae, the
Hexaplex trunculus
…was only used by the highest-ranking aristocracy. A similar dye, Tyrian purple, which is purple-red, was made from a related species of marine snail, Bolinus brandaris. This dye, alternatively known as imperial purple (see purple), was also prohibitively expensive. Jews may have used the pigment from the shells to…
Brandhorn Bolinus brandaris
Different views of a shell of Bolinus brandaris
A shell of Bolinus brandaris with a broken lip because it was between growth stages when it died, and the edge of the aperture is easily damaged during that time.
An illustration of the species from Martin Lister's 17th century shell book.