Bolinus brandaris (originally called Murex brandaris by Linnaeus; synonym Haustellum brandaris), and commonly known as the purple dye murex or the spiny dye-murex, is a species of medium-sized predatory sea snail, an edible marine gastropod mollusc in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or the rock snails.
This species is also known in the fossil record from the Pliocene (age range: from 3.6 to 2.588 million years ago). Fossil shells of this species have been found in Cyprus, Spain and Italy. It was used by the Phoenicians in ancient times to extract imperial Tyrian purple dye.McGovern, P. E. and Michel, R. H.; Royal Purple dye: tracing the chemical origins of the industry, Anal. Chem. 1985, 57, 1514A-1522A
Distribution and habitat This snail lives in the central and western parts of the Mediterranean Sea and has been found on isolated coral atoll beaches in the Indian Ocean and South China Sea. It was known since ancient times as a source for purple dye and also as a popular food source under various names, among which sconciglio, from which comes the word scungilli. This species lives on rocks in shallow water.
Human use This species, like many other species in the family Muricidae, can produce a secretion which is milky and without colour when fresh, but turns into a powerful and lasting dye when exposed to the air. This was the mollusc species used by the ancients to produce the Tyrian purple fabric dye.
Sea snails of the species banded dye-murex Hexaplex trunculus were also used to produce a purple-blue or indigo dye. In both cases, the molluscs secrete the dye in the mucus of their hypobranchial glands.
In Spain, and more specifically on the Mediterranean coast and the Gulf of Cádiz, they are called cañaílla, and are appreciated as food.
It is a cannibalistic species; evidence suggests that intensive breeding by the ancient Minoans resulted in pierced shells, perhaps by other snails, due to the population density in breeding tanks.
Biology Shell The size of the adult shell of Bolinus brandaris can reach about 6 to 9 cm. The shell is usually golden brown with a very long siphonal canal and a rounded body whorl with a low spire. There is a row of spines that corresponds to the end of each growth stage.
Subspecies These subspecific names are not accepted by ICZN.
Bolinus brandaris bicauda - Coen 1933 Bolinus brandaris coronatus x polii - Stigwan 2019 Bolinus brandaris elongata - Stigwan 2019 Bolinus brandaris cagliaritanus - Stigwan 2019 Bolinus brandaris longispinus - Coen 1914 Bolinus brandaris nasalis brevis - Stigwan 2019 Bolinus brandaris nivea - Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, - 1882 Bolinus brandaris polii - Coen 1933 Bolinus brandaris rubiginosus - Stigwan 2019 Bolinus brandaris trispinosus - Locard 1886 Bolinus brandaris trituberculatus - Stigwan 2019 Bolinus brandaris varicosus - Settepassi 1970
Synonyms
Aranea cinera Perry, 1811 Haustellum clavatum Schumacher, 1817 Murex brandariformis Locard, 1886 Murex brandaris Linnaeus, 1758 Murex brandaris brandellus Monterosato in Settepassi, 1970 Murex brandaris brevispinus Settepassi, 1970 Murex brandaris commixtus Settepassi, 1970 Murex brandaris insculptus Settepassi, 1970 Murex brandaris longiaculeatus Settepassi, 1970 Murex brandaris ponderosus Settepassi, 1970 Murex brandaris spinosus Settepassi, 1970 Murex brandaris subcornutus Settepassi, 1970 Murex brandaris var. aculeatus Philippi, 1836 Murex brandaris var. canaliaspinosus Serradell, 1912 Murex brandaris var. compacta Pallary, 1912 Murex brandaris var. conica Serradell, 1912 Murex brandaris var. delgadoi Serradell, 1912 Murex brandaris var. devians Dautzenberg, 1904 Murex brandaris var. diplacantha Dautzenberg, 1904 Murex brandaris var. longispina Coen, 1914 Murex brandaris var. monospinosus Serradell, 1912 Murex brandaris var. multicostatus Serradell, 1912 Murex brandaris var. nivea Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1882 Murex brandaris var. novemcostatus Serradell, 1912 Murex brandaris var. quadrispinosa Dautzenberg, 1904 Murex brandaris var. robusta Dautzenberg, 1904 Murex brandaris var. spinotuberculatus Serradell, 1912 Murex brandaris var. spirocaudata Coen, 1934 Murex brandaris var. ternispinosa Coen, 1914 Murex brandaris var. torta Dautzenberg, 1904 Murex brandaris var. trifariaspinosa Frauenfeld, 1869 Murex brandaris var. trispinosa Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1882 Murex brandaris var. tuberculata Hidalgo, 1890 Murex brandaris var. tudiculoides Coen, 1934 Murex brandaris varicosus Settepassi, 1970 Murex clavaherculis Roding, 1798 Murex coronatus Risso, 1826 Murex trispinosus Locard, 1886 Murex tuberculatus Roding, 1798 Purpura fuliginosa Röding, 1798
See also Tyrian purple Hexaplex trunculus
References
Further reading
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. Vasconcelos P., Barroso C. M. & Gaspar M. B. (2017). "Meat yield of Bolinus brandaris (Gastropoda: Muricidae): Comparative assessment of the influence of sex, size and reproductive status". Scientia Marina 81 (2): 255-267. .