Hexaplex is a genus of medium-sized to large sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the subfamily muracinae of the family Muricidae, the murex shells or rock snails.[1]

Hexaplex
Temporal range: Early Paleocene - Recent 61.7 - 0 Ma
Two views of a shell of Hexaplex cichoreum
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Neogastropoda
Family: Muricidae
Subfamily: Muricinae
Genus: Hexaplex
Perry, 1811
Type species
Hexaplex cichoreum (Gmelin, 1791)
Synonyms[1]
  • Aaronia A. H. Verrill, 1950
  • Bassia Jousseaume, 1880
  • Bassiella Wenz, 1941
  • Centronotus Swainson, 1833 (invalid: junior homonym of Centronotus Schneider, 1801 [Pisces])
  • Hexaplex (Hexaplex) Perry, 1810
  • Hexaplex (Muricanthus) Swainson, 1840
  • Hexaplex (Trunculariopsis) Cossmann, 1921
  • Murex (Muricanthus) Swainson, 1840
  • Muricanthus Swainson, 1840
  • Murithais Grant & Gale, 1931 (invalid: junior objective synonym of Trunculariopsis Cossmann, 1921)
  • Purpura Röding, 1798 (invalid: junior homonym of Purpura Bruguière, 1789)
  • Truncularia Monterosato, 1917 (invalid: junior homonym of Truncularia Wiegmann, 1832 [Bryozoa]; Trunculariopsis is a replacement name)

This genus is known in the fossil record from the Paleocene to the Quaternary period (age range: from 61.7 to 0.012 million years ago.). Fossil shells within this genus have been found all over the world.[2]

Description

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This genus includes shells in the family Muricidae that are solid and globose. They contain five to eight varices that are more or less foliaceous.

Species

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Species within the genus Hexaplex include :[1]

Species brought into synonymy
  • Hexaplex ambiguus (Reeve, 1845): synonym of Muricanthus ambiguus (Reeve, 1845)
  • Hexaplex anatomica Perry, 1811: synonym of Homalocantha anatomica (Perry, 1811) (original combination)
  • Hexaplex bojadorensis (Locard, 1897): synonym of Favartia bojadorensis (Locard, 1897)
  • Hexaplex bozzadamii (Franchi, 1990): synonym of Hexaplex kusterianus bozzadamii (Franchi, 1990),: synonym of Hexaplex kuesterianus bozzadamii (Franchi, 1990)
  • Hexaplex foliacea Perry, 1811: synonym of Hexaplex cichoreum (Gmelin, 1791) (synonym)
  • Hexaplex fusca Perry, 1811: synonym of Homalocantha scorpio (Linnaeus, 1758) (synonym)
  • Hexaplex kusterianus: synonym of Hexaplex kuesterianus (Tapparone Canefri, 1875) (misspelling)
  • Hexaplex nigritus (Philippi, 1845): synonym of Muricanthus nigritus (Philippi, 1845)
  • Hexaplex punctuata Perry, 1811: synonym of Hexaplex fulvescens (G. B. Sowerby II, 1834) (nomen oblitum)
  • Hexaplex puniceus W. R. B. Oliver, 1915: synonym of Favartia garrettii (Pease, 1868)
  • Hexaplex radix (Gmelin, 1791): synonym of Muricanthus radix (Gmelin, 1791)
  • Hexaplex ryalli Houart, 1993: synonym of Hexaplex saharicus ryalli Houart, 1993 (original combination)
  • Hexaplex strausi (A.H. Verrill, 1950): synonym of Muricanthus strausi (A. H. Verrill, 1950)
  • Hexaplex tenuis Perry, 1811: synonym of Homalocantha scorpio (Linnaeus, 1758) (synonym)
  • Hexaplex turbinatus : synonym of Hexaplex duplex (Röding, 1798)
  • Hexaplex varius (Sowerby II, 1834): synonym of Chicoreus varius (G. B. Sowerby II, 1834)

Extinct species

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Extinct species within the genus Hexaplex include:[2]

  • †Hexaplex (Hexaplex) colei Palmer 1937
  • †Hexaplex (Hexaplex) engonatus Conrad 1833
  • †Hexaplex (Hexaplex) etheringtoni Vokes 1968
  • †Hexaplex (Hexaplex) katherinae Vokes 1968
  • †Hexaplex (Hexaplex) marksi Harris 1894
  • †Hexaplex (Hexaplex) silvaticus Palmer 1937
  • †Hexaplex (Hexaplex) supernus Palmer 1947
  • †Hexaplex (Hexaplex) texanus Vokes 1968
  • †Hexaplex (Hexaplex) vanuxemi Conrad 1865
  • †Hexaplex (Hexaplex) veatchi Maury 1910
  • †Hexaplex (Trunculariopsis) bourgeoisi Tournouër 1875
  • †Hexaplex (Trunculariopsis) brevicanthos Sismonda 1847
  • †Hexaplex (Trunculariopsis) campanii De Stefani and Pantanelli 1878
  • †Hexaplex (Trunculariopsis) rudis Borson 1821
  • †Hexaplex hertweckorum Petuch 1988
 
Fossil shell of Hexaplex trunculus

References

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  1. ^ a b c Houart, R.; Gofas, S. (2010). Hexaplex Perry, 1810. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) World Marine Mollusca database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=138194 on 2010-11-01
  2. ^ a b "Fossilworks". Archived from the original on 2021-12-13. Retrieved 2021-12-17.

Further reading

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  • Radwin G. E. & D'Attilio A. (1986) Murex shells of the world. An illustrated guide to the Muricidae. Stanford Univ. Press, Stanford, x pp. 1–284 incl 192 figs. 32 pls.
  • Gofas, S.; Le Renard, J.; Bouchet, P. (2001). Mollusca, in: Costello, M.J. et al. (Ed.) (2001). European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels, 50: pp. 180–213
  • Merle D., Garrigues B. & Pointier J.-P. (2011) Fossil and Recent Muricidae of the world. Part Muricinae. Hackenheim: Conchbooks. 648 pp.