page_title: Hexaplex trunculus
section_title: Shell description
hierarchical_section_title: Hexaplex trunculus / Shell description
caption_attribution_description: Français&#160;: muricidae
context_page_description: Hexaplex trunculus is a medium-sized sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex shells or rock snails.
  This species is a group of opportunist predatory snails that are known to attack their prey in groups. What is peculiar about this specific species is that they show no preference for the size of their prey, regardless of their hunger levels.
  The snail appears in fossil records dating between the Pliocene and Quaternary periods. Fossilized shells have been found in Morocco, Italy, and Spain.
  This sea snail is historically important because its hypobranchial gland secretes a mucus used to create a distinctive purple-blue indigo dye. Ancient Mediterranean cultures, including the Minoans, Canaanites/Phoenicians, Hebrews, and classical Greeks created dyes from the snails. One of the dye's main chemical ingredients is red dibromo-indigotin, the main component of tyrian purple. The dye will turn indigo blue, similar to the color of blue jeans, if exposed to sunlight before the dye sets. Indigo dye produced in this manner is known as Tekhelet.
context_section_description: Hexaplex trunculus has a broadly conical shell about 4 to 10 cm long.  It has a rather high spire with seven angulated whorls, and the shell is formed similar to the shape of a fish. The shell is variable in sculpture and coloring with dark banding, in four varieties. The ribs sometimes develop thickenings or spines and give the shell a rough appearance. The shell is often covered in algae, which camouflages it, making it appear very similar to the seabed.
caption: Compilations of commonly found species of Hexaplex Trunculus
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