''Hexaplex'' is a
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of medium-sized to large
sea snail
Sea snails are slow-moving marine (ocean), marine gastropod Mollusca, molluscs, usually with visible external shells, such as whelk or abalone. They share the Taxonomic classification, taxonomic class Gastropoda with slugs, which are distinguishe ...
s,
marine gastropod
Gastropods (), commonly known as slugs and snails, belong to a large Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda ().
This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, freshwater, and fro ...
mollusk
Mollusca is a phylum of protostomic invertebrate animals, whose members are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 76,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized, making it the second-largest animal phylum after Arthropoda. The ...
s in the subfamily Muricinae of the family
Muricidae
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 Neog ...
, the murex shells or rock snails.
[Houart, R.; Gofas, S. (2010). Hexaplex Perry, 1810. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) World Marine Mollusca database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=138194 on 2010-11-01]
This genus is known in the fossil record from the
Paleocene
The Paleocene ( ), or Palaeocene, is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 66 to 56 mya (unit), million years ago (mya). It is the first epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), ...
to the
Quaternary
The Quaternary ( ) is the current and most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS), as well as the current and most recent of the twelve periods of the ...
period (age range: from 61.7 to 0.012 million years ago.). Fossil shells within this genus have been found all over the world.
Description
This genus includes shells in the family Muricidae that are solid and globose. They contain five to eight varices that are more or less
foliaceous.
Species
Species within the genus ''Hexaplex'' include :
* ''
Hexaplex angularis''
(Lamarck, 1822)
* †''
Hexaplex arietinus''
(Millet, 1865)
* ''
Hexaplex bifasciatus''
(A. Adams, 1853)
* † ''
Hexaplex bourgeoisi''
(Tournouër, 1875)
* ''
Hexaplex brassica
''Hexaplex brassica'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae
Muricidae is a large and varied taxonomic family of small to large predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks, commonly known as mur ...
''
(Lamarck, 1822)
* ''
Hexaplex cichoreum''
(Gmelin, 1791)
* ''
Hexaplex conatus''
(McMichael, 1964)
* ''
Hexaplex duplex
''Hexaplex duplex'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.
Subspecies
Both subspecies are now considered synonyms of ''Hexaplex duplex''.
*''Hexaplex duplex duplex'' (Rö ...
''
Röding, 1798
* ''
Hexaplex erythrostomus''
(Swainson, 1831)
* ''
Hexaplex fulvescens''
(Sowerby II, 1834)
* ''
Hexaplex kuesterianus''
(Tapparone-Canefri, 1875)
* † ''
Hexaplex ledoni''
Ceulemans, van Dingenen, Merle & Landau, 2016
* ''
Hexaplex megacerus''
(G.B. Sowerby II, 1834)
* ''
Hexaplex pecchiolianus''
(d'Ancona, 1871)
* ''
Hexaplex princeps''
(Broderip, 1833)
* ''
Hexaplex regius''
(Swainson, 1821)
* ''
Hexaplex rileyi''
D'Attilio & Myers, 1984
* ''
Hexaplex rosarium''
(Röding, 1798)
* ''
Hexaplex saharicus''
(Locard, 1897)
* ''
Hexaplex stainforthi''
(Reeve, 1843)
* † ''
Hexaplex tapparonii''
(Bellardi, 1873)
* † ''
Hexaplex tridentatus''
(Tate, 1888)
* ''
Hexaplex trunculus
''Hexaplex trunculus'' (previously known as ''Murex trunculus'', ''Phyllonotus trunculus'', or the banded dye-murex) is a medium-sized sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex shells or rock snails. It is inclu ...
''
(Linnaeus, 1758)
* † ''
Hexaplex turonensis''
(Dujardin, 1837)
; Species brought into synonymy:
* ''Hexaplex ambiguus''
(Reeve, 1845): synonym of ''
Muricanthus ambiguus''
(Reeve, 1845)
* ''Hexaplex anatomica''
Perry, 1811: synonym of ''
Homalocantha anatomica''
(Perry, 1811) (original combination)
* ''Hexaplex bojadorensis''
(Locard, 1897): synonym of
Favartia bojadorensis (Locard, 1897)
* ''Hexaplex bozzadamii''
(Franchi, 1990): synonym of ''Hexaplex kusterianus bozzadamii'' (Franchi, 1990),: synonym of ''Hexaplex kuesterianus bozzadamii''
(Franchi, 1990)
* ''Hexaplex foliacea''
Perry, 1811: synonym of ''
Hexaplex cichoreum''
(Gmelin, 1791) (synonym)
* ''Hexaplex fusca''
Perry, 1811: synonym of ''
Homalocantha scorpio
''Homalocantha scorpio'', common name the scorpion murex, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae
Muricidae is a large and varied taxonomic family of small to large predatory sea snails, marine gastro ...
''
(Linnaeus, 1758) (synonym)
* ''Hexaplex kusterianus'': synonym of ''
Hexaplex kuesterianus''
(Tapparone Canefri, 1875) (misspelling)
* ''Hexaplex nigritus''
(Philippi, 1845): synonym of ''
Muricanthus nigritus''
(Philippi, 1845)
* ''Hexaplex punctuata''
Perry, 1811: synonym of ''
Hexaplex fulvescens''
(G. B. Sowerby II, 1834) (nomen oblitum)
* ''Hexaplex puniceus''
W. R. B. Oliver, 1915: synonym of ''
Favartia garrettii''
(Pease, 1868)
* ''Hexaplex radix''
(Gmelin, 1791): synonym of ''
Muricanthus radix''
(Gmelin, 1791)
* ''Hexaplex ryalli''
Houart, 1993: synonym of ''Hexaplex saharicus ryalli''
Houart, 1993 (original combination)
* ''Hexaplex strausi''
(A.H. Verrill, 1950): synonym of ''
Muricanthus strausi''
(A. H. Verrill, 1950)
* ''Hexaplex tenuis''
Perry, 1811: synonym of ''
Homalocantha scorpio
''Homalocantha scorpio'', common name the scorpion murex, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae
Muricidae is a large and varied taxonomic family of small to large predatory sea snails, marine gastro ...
''
(Linnaeus, 1758) (synonym)
* ''Hexaplex turbinatus'' : synonym of ''Hexaplex duplex''
(Röding, 1798)
* ''Hexaplex varius''
(Sowerby II, 1834): synonym of ''
Chicoreus varius''
(G. B. Sowerby II, 1834)
Extinct species
Extinct species within the genus ''Hexaplex'' include:
[
* ''†Hexaplex (Hexaplex) colei'' Palmer 1937
* ''†Hexaplex (Hexaplex) engonatus'' Conrad 1833
* ''†Hexaplex (Hexaplex) etheringtoni'' Vokes 1968
* ''†Hexaplex (Hexaplex) katherinae'' Vokes 1968
* ''†Hexaplex (Hexaplex) marksi'' Harris 1894
* ''†Hexaplex (Hexaplex) silvaticus'' Palmer 1937
* ''†Hexaplex (Hexaplex) supernus'' Palmer 1947
* ''†Hexaplex (Hexaplex) texanus'' Vokes 1968
* ''†Hexaplex (Hexaplex) vanuxemi '' Conrad 1865
* ''†Hexaplex (Hexaplex) veatchi'' Maury 1910
* ''†Hexaplex (Trunculariopsis) bourgeoisi'' Tournouër 1875
* ''†Hexaplex (Trunculariopsis) brevicanthos'' Sismonda 1847
* ''†Hexaplex (Trunculariopsis) campanii'' De Stefani and Pantanelli 1878
* ''†Hexaplex (Trunculariopsis) rudis'' Borson 1821
* ''†Hexaplex hertweckorum'' Petuch 1988
]
References
Further reading
* Radwin G. E. & D'Attilio A. (1986) ''Murex shells of the world. An illustrated guide to the Muricidae.'' Stanford Univ. Press, Stanford, x + pp. 1–284 incl 192 figs. + 32 pls.
* Gofas, S.; Le Renard, J.; Bouchet, P. (2001). Mollusca, in: Costello, M.J. et al. (Ed.) (2001). ''European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification''. Collection Patrimoines Naturels, 50: pp. 180–213
* Merle D., Garrigues B. & Pointier J.-P. (2011) ''Fossil and Recent Muricidae of the world. Part Muricinae''. Hackenheim: Conchbooks. 648 pp.
Muricinae
Extant Selandian first appearances
{{Muricinae-stub