Long-spine Murex Shell, Vokesimurex tricoronis
Long-spine Murex Shell, Vokesimurex tricoronis. Size: 8.3 cm (2.5 inches) x 6.4 cm (2.5 inches). Shell collected from coastal waters within Bahía Concepción, Baja California Sur, March 2020. Collection and photograph courtesy of Barry Mastro, Escondido, California. Identification courtesy of Colin Campbell, DVM, Punta Chivato.
Long-spine Murex Shell, Vokesimurex tricoronis. In egg mass. Collection from coastal waters within Bahía Concepción, Baja California Sur, March 2020. Collection and photograph courtesy of Barry Mastro, Escondido, California. Identification courtesy of Colin Campbell, DVM, Punta Chivato. These sponge like egg masses may contain 10 – 30 shells. Barry reports that he has encounters with several shells wrapped up in what appears to be “marine styrofoam.” The package is large and perhaps a half a cubic foot in volume with no individual organisms visible. Once the package is opened these shells are within completely intact and unbroken without the live snail.
Phylogeny: The Long-spine Murex Shell, Vokesimurex tricoronis (S.S. Berry, 1960) is a gastropod mollusk that is a member of the Muricidae Family of Rock Shells. The genus Vokesimurex is one of one hundred ninety-eight genera in this family, and there are thirty-nine species in this genus. They are known in Mexico as the Murex Espina Larga.
Description: Long-spine Murex Shells consist of 5-6 whorls and have a globose body whorl. Their most obvious feature is their very long canal, which is closed for some of its length. They have a moderately high spire and an oval aperture. The inner lip of the aperture is flared. The varices are each sculpted with 3 spines. There may be additional spines at the base of the canal, but none that continue along the canal. The exterior of these shells may be whitish, tan, or light brown, with fine reddish-brown spiral lines. The interior is white. Long-spine Murex Shells reach a maximum length of around 8.0 cm (3.1 inches). The Long-spine Murex Shell can be easily confused with the Bent Beak Murex Shell, Vokesimurex recurvirostris (shorter spines), and the Ruthae Murex Shell, Vokesimurex ruthae (spines continue along canal).
Habitat and Distribution: Long-spine Murex Shells reside on sand and mud substrates. They live at depths between 35 m (115 feet) and 75 m (246 feet). They are a subtropical to tropical Eastern Pacific species. In Mexican waters they range from Cedros Island, Baja California, to Guatemala. They are found in the Gulf of California as far north as San Carlos Bay, Sonora.
Ecology and Behavior: Long-spine Murex Shells are a poorly studied and understood species. There is very limited documentation of their diet, predation, reproduction or ecosystem interactions. Other species in this genus are predators that feed primarily on shelled mollusks. They are gonochoric and reproduce sexually, with internal fertilization. There is no mention in the available literature of them engaging in any types of parasitic, commensal, or symbiotic relationships. From a conservation perspective they have not been formally evaluated.