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 Neogastropoda. Additionally, 1,200 fossil species have been recognized. Numerous subfamilies are recognized, although experts disagree about the subfamily divisions and the definitions of the genera. Many muricids have unusual shells which are considered attractive by shell collectors and by interior designers.

Muricidae

Manuel CABALLER · CC BY 4.0 · via Wikipedia/Commons. May be a photograph of a specimen, or an artist’s reconstruction — an interpretation of a skeleton, since colour and soft tissue are almost never preserved.

On record

Recorded, not inferred
Also called
murex snailPBDB
Sits inside
MuricoideaPBDB
Diet
carnivorePBDB
Life habit
epifaunalPBDB
Motility
actively mobilePBDB
Vision
limitedPBDB, for Gastropoda

Time the record covers

At least 119 million years on record.

The record covers at least 119.57 Mya to 11.7 ka. No occurrence read is dated outside 121.4 Mya to 0 Mya.

Early Cretaceous — about 8 of 5474 occurrencesEarly CretaceousLate Cretaceous — about 138 of 5474 occurrencesLate CretaceousPaleocene — about 80 of 5474 occurrencesEocene — about 461 of 5474 occurrencesEoceneOligocene — about 247 of 5474 occurrencesOligoceneMiocene — about 1950 of 5474 occurrencesMiocenePliocene — about 1071 of 5474 occurrencesPleistocene — about 1468 of 5474 occurrences124–120 Mya — about 2 occurrences120–116 Mya — about 0.1 occurrences116–111 Mya — about 0.6 occurrences111–107 Mya — about 1 occurrence107–103 Mya — about 3 occurrences103–99 Mya — about 2 occurrences99–95 Mya — about 1.0 occurrences95–91 Mya — about 0.2 occurrences91–87 Mya — about 0.8 occurrences87–83 Mya — about 3 occurrences83–78 Mya — about 8 occurrences78–74 Mya — about 8 occurrences74–70 Mya — about 41 occurrences70–66 Mya — about 74 occurrences66–62 Mya — about 19 occurrences62–58 Mya — about 48 occurrences58–54 Mya — about 29 occurrences54–50 Mya — about 27 occurrences50–45 Mya — about 59 occurrences45–41 Mya — about 76 occurrences41–37 Mya — about 239 occurrences37–33 Mya — about 61 occurrences33–29 Mya — about 77 occurrences29–25 Mya — about 103 occurrences25–21 Mya — about 196 occurrences21–17 Mya — about 549 occurrences17–12 Mya — about 542 occurrences12–8.3 Mya — about 345 occurrences8.3–4.1 Mya — about 660 occurrences4.1–0 Mya — about 2297 occurrences119.57 Mya11.7 ka124 Mya0 Mya

5,474 occurrences of Muricidae on record, most of them in the Miocene. The Paleobiology Database records this as a living group. Bar height is expected occurrences, not a count: each fossil is spread across the span it is dated to, so a tall narrow bar means tight dating and a low wide one means loose.

When

5,474 occurrences

These are dates about fossils, not the animal: the record can only begin after it arose and end before it died out, so either end may reach further. Shares are expected occurrences: a fossil dated to a span is counted partly in each period it straddles. More on what this infers.

Found in

487 formations

Chipola — 30.44°N, 85.19°WChipola — 30.59°N, 84.58°WChipola — 30.26°N, 85.17°WChipola — 30.46°N, 85.16°WChipola — 30.47°N, 84.99°WGurabo — 19.48°N, 71.09°WGurabo — 19.53°N, 71.20°WGurabo — 19.58°N, 71.25°WGurabo — 19.40°N, 70.72°WGurabo — 19.30°N, 71.67°WGurabo — 19.58°N, 71.05°WGurabo — 19.45°N, 70.70°WGurabo — 19.30°N, 70.50°WGurabo — 19.48°N, 70.98°WGurabo — 18.73°N, 71.00°WGurabo — 19.53°N, 71.33°WGurabo — 18.93°N, 71.62°WCaloosahatchee — 26.89°N, 82.01°WCaloosahatchee — 26.50°N, 81.20°WCaloosahatchee — 26.75°N, 81.51°WCaloosahatchee — 26.76°N, 81.44°WCaloosahatchee — 27.34°N, 82.42°WCaloosahatchee — 26.68°N, 80.28°WCaloosahatchee — 27.77°N, 82.68°WCaloosahatchee — 26.96°N, 81.99°WCaloosahatchee — 26.75°N, 80.93°WCaloosahatchee — 26.79°N, 81.30°WCaloosahatchee — 26.83°N, 81.09°WCaloosahatchee — 27.01°N, 82.15°WCaloosahatchee — 26.13°N, 80.62°WCaloosahatchee — 27.84°N, 82.65°WCaloosahatchee — 26.52°N, 82.03°WPalos Verdes Sand — 33.80°N, 118.16°WPalos Verdes Sand — 33.99°N, 118.45°WPalos Verdes Sand — 33.60°N, 117.88°WPalos Verdes Sand — 33.72°N, 118.28°WPalos Verdes Sand — 33.78°N, 118.33°WPalos Verdes Sand — 33.66°N, 117.94°WGatun — 9.35°N, 79.81°WGatun — 9.35°N, 79.82°WGatun — 9.04°N, 80.65°WGatun — 9.33°N, 79.89°WGatun — 9.17°N, 80.00°WGatun — 9.28°N, 79.97°WTamiami — 26.01°N, 81.13°WTamiami — 25.67°N, 80.31°WTamiami — 27.34°N, 82.42°WTamiami — 25.90°N, 81.30°WTamiami — 27.33°N, 82.53°WTamiami — 26.14°N, 81.77°WTamiami — 26.96°N, 81.17°WTamiami — 27.10°N, 81.14°WTamiami — 25.62°N, 80.53°WTamiami — 26.89°N, 82.01°WTamiami — 27.18°N, 81.10°WTamiami — 27.14°N, 80.85°WTamiami — 27.30°N, 81.03°WTamiami — 27.36°N, 81.06°WTamiami — 26.13°N, 81.48°WTamiami — 26.13°N, 80.62°WTamiami — 27.01°N, 82.15°WPisco — 15.58°S, 74.72°WPisco — 15.57°S, 75.00°WPisco — 15.45°S, 74.87°WPisco — 14.96°S, 75.28°WPisco — 14.74°S, 75.52°WPisco — 14.76°S, 75.51°WPisco — 14.43°S, 75.85°WPisco — 14.46°S, 75.84°WPisco — 15.48°S, 75.82°WPisco — 15.48°S, 74.79°WPisco — 15.66°S, 75.53°WPisco — 15.54°S, 75.73°WPisco — 15.66°S, 74.53°WPisco — 14.59°S, 75.67°WPisco — 14.20°S, 76.12°WPisco — 15.61°S, 74.63°WPisco — 15.66°S, 75.58°WCastilletes — 11.93°N, 71.34°WCastilletes — 11.96°N, 71.26°WCastilletes — 11.85°N, 71.37°WCook Mountain — 32.32°N, 89.03°WCook Mountain — 32.32°N, 89.16°WCook Mountain — 32.04°N, 88.73°WCook Mountain — 32.10°N, 88.86°WCook Mountain — 32.17°N, 88.83°WCook Mountain — 32.36°N, 92.98°WCook Mountain — 30.62°N, 96.53°WCook Mountain — 32.51°N, 92.12°WCook Mountain — 31.35°N, 93.65°WCook Mountain — 31.76°N, 92.96°WCook Mountain — 30.90°N, 96.39°WCook Mountain — 32.14°N, 89.00°WCook Mountain — 31.12°N, 95.90°WCook Mountain — 31.22°N, 95.72°WCook Mountain — 31.25°N, 95.72°WCook Mountain — 29.95°N, 97.14°WCook Mountain — 30.62°N, 96.56°WCook Mountain — 30.07°N, 97.08°WVaqueros — 34.04°N, 120.04°WVaqueros — 33.54°N, 117.78°WVaqueros — 33.55°N, 117.82°WVaqueros — 33.70°N, 117.71°WVaqueros — 33.64°N, 117.59°WVaqueros — 33.77°N, 117.89°WVaqueros — 34.33°N, 118.83°WVaqueros — 34.38°N, 118.95°WVaqueros — 35.76°N, 121.01°WVaqueros — 34.33°N, 119.03°WVaqueros — 34.04°N, 118.88°WVaqueros — 34.07°N, 118.71°WVaqueros — 34.06°N, 118.91°WVaqueros — 34.38°N, 118.84°WVaqueros — 34.32°N, 119.08°WVaqueros — 34.36°N, 118.91°WVaqueros — 34.45°N, 118.92°WVaqueros — 34.58°N, 118.91°WVaqueros — 34.57°N, 119.02°WVaqueros — 34.37°N, 119.33°WVaqueros — 34.44°N, 119.20°WVaqueros — 34.51°N, 120.23°WVaqueros — 34.53°N, 120.35°WVaqueros — 34.58°N, 120.16°WVaqueros — 34.58°N, 120.14°WVaqueros — 34.93°N, 119.06°WVaqueros — 34.98°N, 120.21°WVaqueros — 35.27°N, 120.60°WVaqueros — 35.31°N, 120.04°WVaqueros — 35.25°N, 120.06°WVaqueros — 35.28°N, 120.13°WVaqueros — 35.77°N, 121.06°WVaqueros — 36.07°N, 121.28°WVaqueros — 36.18°N, 121.31°WCercado — 19.47°N, 71.08°WCercado — 19.53°N, 71.27°WCercado — 19.30°N, 71.67°WCercado — 19.45°N, 71.18°WCercado — 19.35°N, 70.70°WCercado — 19.58°N, 71.04°WKorytnica Clays — 50.67°N, 20.52°EPrairie Bluff — 34.50°N, 88.94°WPrairie Bluff — 34.25°N, 88.97°WPrairie Bluff — 33.90°N, 88.98°WPrairie Bluff — 33.79°N, 88.97°WPrairie Bluff — 33.72°N, 88.92°WPrairie Bluff — 33.50°N, 88.81°WPrairie Bluff — 33.38°N, 88.74°WPrairie Bluff — 32.67°N, 88.26°WPrairie Bluff — 32.74°N, 88.36°WPrairie Bluff — 32.70°N, 88.17°WPrairie Bluff — 32.63°N, 88.22°WPrairie Bluff — 32.39°N, 87.92°WPrairie Bluff — 32.43°N, 88.04°WPrairie Bluff — 32.23°N, 87.50°WPrairie Bluff — 32.14°N, 87.42°WPrairie Bluff — 32.07°N, 87.33°WPrairie Bluff — 32.08°N, 87.03°WPrairie Bluff — 32.05°N, 86.81°WPrairie Bluff — 32.05°N, 86.81°WPrairie Bluff — 31.97°N, 86.72°WPrairie Bluff — 32.00°N, 86.48°WPrairie Bluff — 31.98°N, 86.00°WPico — 34.36°N, 118.56°WPico — 34.33°N, 118.72°WPico — 34.43°N, 118.70°WPico — 34.34°N, 118.47°WPico — 34.35°N, 118.52°WShoal River — 30.72°N, 86.12°WShoal River — 30.63°N, 86.17°WShoal River — 30.69°N, 86.65°WMoodys Branch — 32.23°N, 92.15°WMoodys Branch — 32.03°N, 92.02°WMoodys Branch — 32.30°N, 90.18°WMoodys Branch — 31.86°N, 88.70°WMoodys Branch — 31.63°N, 91.82°WMoodys Branch — 31.82°N, 92.33°WMoodys Branch — 31.67°N, 92.89°WMoodys Branch — 31.78°N, 92.49°WMoodys Branch — 33.82°N, 92.00°WMoodys Branch — 31.97°N, 88.53°WMoodys Branch — 32.17°N, 88.83°WMoodys Branch — 32.85°N, 90.41°WMoodys Branch — 31.60°N, 92.80°WUnnamed — 33.24°N, 119.51°WUnnamed — 33.24°N, 119.55°WSan Pedro Sand — 33.74°N, 118.28°WSan Pedro Sand — 33.75°N, 118.29°WPancho Rico — 36.24°N, 121.29°WPancho Rico — 36.25°N, 121.29°WPancho Rico — 35.74°N, 120.83°WPancho Rico — 36.21°N, 121.02°WPancho Rico — 36.13°N, 121.02°WPancho Rico — 36.10°N, 120.88°WPancho Rico — 36.03°N, 120.80°WPancho Rico — 36.03°N, 120.86°WPancho Rico — 35.90°N, 120.84°WMare — 10.00°N, 64.00°WMare — 10.61°N, 63.52°WMare — 10.64°N, 64.11°WBaitoa — 19.30°N, 70.80°WBaitoa — 19.17°N, 70.70°WBaitoa — 19.35°N, 70.70°WLomita Marl — 33.75°N, 118.30°WLomita Marl — 33.74°N, 118.29°WTermofourà — 45.05°N, 7.80°ETermofourà — 45.04°N, 7.77°EByram — 32.01°N, 89.38°WByram — 32.18°N, 90.25°WByram — 32.32°N, 90.86°WByram — 32.48°N, 90.80°WByram — 32.41°N, 90.84°WByram — 32.12°N, 90.53°W

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The named rock units Muricidae has been recovered from, largest first. Drawn where the rock is now, not where it formed. 463 further formations hold fewer occurrences each and are not listed. 1,156 occurrences have no formation on record, which is common for older literature.

Muricidae and its relatives

Miocene

Where Muricidae and its relatives were recorded in the Miocene.

Found in the same rock

3,143 taxa

The Paleobiology Database records at least 940 sites for Muricidae, and this reads 240 of them. Of that, one read hit the database's own return limit, so every count below is a floor rather than a total. The number is how many of those sites it was catalogued from too. The 24 sharing the most are listed.

This is not a list of everything alive at the time. It is only what has come out of the same ground as this animal and been written down.

Entered from

621 references

Each of the 5,474 occurrences read was entered from one of these publications, ordered by how many each accounts for. This is not a search for papers mentioning the name. 609 further references are not listed. Entries link to doi.org where the Paleobiology Database holds an identifier, and to its own record where it does not. Relayed as the Paleobiology Database holds them, not checked against what they resolve to.

Media and terms

Media content2

Picture of Muricidae

Credit
Manuel CABALLER
Licence
CC BY 4.0
Commercial use
the licence allows it

3D model

Source
Sketchfab
Licence
CC Attribution-NonCommercial
Commercial use
the licence does not allow it

Smithsonian Open Access and MorphoSource were not reached for this taxon, so this list is what the others held rather than everything there is.

The description on this site

Licence
CC BY-SA 4.0

This is what the site found, which is not the same as what exists.

Keep going

What may have been alongside itMuricoidea through timeFormations of the MioceneThe world it lived on

Occurrence data from the Paleobiology Database, CC BY 4.0. Rafinesque 1815