Kingdom Animalia Superfamily Muricoidea Subfamily Muricinae Genus Hexaplex | Class Gastropoda Family Muricidae Phylum Mollusca Rank Species | |
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Similar Hexaplex, Hexaplex regius, Hexaplex nigritus, Hexaplex cichoreum, Homalocantha | ||
Hexaplex radix, the radix murex or root murex, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.
Contents
Distribution
This species can be found in the western Pacific in parts of Central America (Baja California, from Mexico to Peru).
Habitat
These sea snails live along the tropical coasts in shallow waters among intertidal rocks.
Description
Shells of Hexaplex radix can reach a size of 50–160 millimetres (2.0–6.3 in). These large, massive, heavy shells are globose or pear-shaped and very spyny, with a white surface and blackish-brown foliations and spiral elements. The body whorls have six to eleven varices. The aperture is large, broad, ovate and porcelaneous white. The outer edges are strongly dentate. The siphonal canal is moderately long. The operculum is dark brown.
This species is quite similar to Hexaplex nigritus. The shells of these two species mainly differ in the length, width and in the proportion of blackish-brown versus white. Moreover shells of H. radix are less oblong and show less spines in black.
Biology
Hexaplex radix feeds primarily on clams.
