West Indian Murex Shell, Chicoreus brevifrons

West Indian Murex Shell, Chicoreus brevifrons, Juvenile. Shell collected in the Eastern Caribbean, 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. Identification by Dr. Hank Chaney, Santa Barbara, California.

Phylogeny: The West Indian Murex Shell, Chicoreus brevifrons (Boderip, 1833), is a gastropod mollusk that is a member of the Muricidae Family of Rock Shells. The genus Chicoreus is one of one hundred ninety-eight genera in this family, and there are one hundred species in this genus.

Description: West Indian Murex Shells are fairly large and robust. They consists of about 5 whorls, a moderate apex, and three varices. The varices are decorated with spines and fronds. The spines near the shoulder curve upwards. The exterior is sculpted with many strong spiral cords. The aperture is oval with a flared inner lip. The canal is fairly long, and partially covered. These shells are grayish-white in color and are often banded with numerous, fine, brown or dark brown, spiral lines. West Indian Murex Shells reach a maximum of 15.5 cm (6.1 inches) in length.

Habitat and Distribution: West Indian Murex Shells are found on soft sand or mud substrates, or on rocks surrounded by soft substrates and often associated with mangroves and oyster beds. They live intertidally, and to depths up to 83 m (272 feet). They are a subtropical to tropical Western Atlantic species that are found in all Mexican waters of the Atlantic Ocean including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. Some sources limit this range to the easterly portions of the Yucatán Peninsula.

Ecology and Behavior: West Indian Murex Shells are predators that feed primarily on bivalves, and scavengers that feed on carrion. They are gonochoric and reproduce sexually with internal fertilization. The eggs are laid in protective capsules. West Indian Murex Shells are known to host endo parasitic trematodes. There is no mention in the available literature of them engaging in any types of commensal or symbiotic relationships. They are edible and have been collected as a food source and for their beautiful shells. Over collecting has significantly impacted local populations. From a conservation perspective they have not been formally evaluated.

Synonyms: Chicoreus (Chicoreus) vokesae, Chicoreus (Triplex) brevifrons, Murex approximatus, Murex brevifrons, Murex crassivaricosa, Murex elongatus, Murex pudoricolor, Murex purpuratus, Murex spectrum var. incertum, and Murex toupiollei.