Humilis Murex Shell, Favartia humlis

Humilis Murex Shell, Favartia humlis. Shell collected off the beach at Punta Chivato, Baja California Sur, June 2022. Size: 6.0 cm (2.4 inches) x 4.6 cm (1.8 inches). Collection courtesy of Kathy Farley, Punta Chivato. Photographs courtesy of Colin Campbell, DVM, Punta Chivato, Baja California Sur.

The Humilis Murex, Favartia humlis (Boderip, 1833), is a gastropod mollusk that is a member of the Muricidae Family of Rocks. The Shell is small with well spaced ribs and an anterior canal that is straight and relatively narrow. The exterior of the shell is white with two indistinct light brown bands, one above the aperture and the other across the base. The Humilis Murex reach a maximum of 3.2 cm (1.3 inches) in length and 2.2 cm (0.9 inches in height noting that the above shell is significantly larger than the published maximums.

Humilis Murexes are found in the intertidal zone to depths between 15 m (50 feet) and 33 m (110 feet). They range from Sonora to Peru. In general the Humilis Murex is a rare shell that has been poorly studied and poorly documented.

Synonyms include Murex fricki, Murex humilis, Murex obtusus, Murex octogonus, Murex sowerbyi, Murex taeniatus and Murexiella humilis.