Bolinus

Bolinus is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.[2]

Bolinus
Temporal range: Miocene - Recent
Two shells of the spiny dye-murex, Bolinus brandaris
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Clade: Caenogastropoda
Clade: Hypsogastropoda
Clade: Neogastropoda
Superfamily: Muricoidea
Family: Muricidae
Subfamily: Muricinae
Genus: Bolinus
Pusch, 1837[1]
Type species
Murex brandaris
Linnaeus, 1758
Synonyms[2]

This genus is known in the fossil record from the Miocene to the Pliocene period (age range: from 15.97 to 2.588 million years ago.). Fossil shells within this genus have been found in Cyprus, Austria, Italy and Turkey.[3]

Some species of these molluscs were known since ancient times as a source for purple dye and also as a popular food source.

Description
Fossil shell of Bolinus brandaris torularius from Pliocene

The adult shells of Bolinus species can reach a size of about 60–200 millimetres (2.4–7.9 in). They are usually pale or golden brown, thick and spiny with a long and straight siphonal canal and a rounded and broad body whorl.

They are carnivorous and predatory

Distribution

Snails within this genus mainly live along the Atlantic coast of Africa and in the Mediterranean Sea.

Habitat

They inhabit shallow water and prefer gravelled or rocky substrate.

Species

Species within the genus Bolinus include:

Bolinus Brandaris Nivea Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1882

brandaris form trispinosus Locard 1886

Bolinus brandaris longispinus Coen 1914


brandaris form coronatus

brandaris form trituberculatus

brandaris form bicaudatus

brandaris form cagliaritanus

brandaris form brevis

brandaris form polii

brandaris form elongata

brandaris form coronatus x polii

brandaris form varicosus

brandaris form rubiginosus


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References
  1. Pusch (1837). Polens Palaeont. (2): 134.
  2. Bolinus Pusch, 1837. Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 25 April 2010.
  3. Fossilworks
  • Merle D., Garrigues B. & Pointier J.-P. (2011) Fossil and Recent Muricidae of the world. Part Muricinae. Hackenheim: Conchbooks. 648 pp.
  • Gofas, S.; Le Renard, J.; Bouchet, P. (2001). Mollusca. in: Costello, M.J. et al. (eds), European Register of Marine Species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Patrimoines Naturels. 50: 180-213


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