Saul's Murex

Saul's Murex

Saul's Murex
Murex Saulii
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Superfamily: Muricoidea
Family: Muricidae
Subfamily: Muricinae
Genus: Chicoreus
Subgenus: Triplex
Species: C. saulii
Scientific name: Chicoreus saulii

   Saul's Murex is distributed in the Indian Ocean along the Mascarene Basin; in the Pacific Ocean along Japan and Papua New Guinea. Chicoreus saulii is found almost exclusively on the seaward reef, either under rocks during the day or in ledges and small caves at night. It is nearly always found covered with its red sponge coat, although it can wear off on some older specimens. The

Live Saul's Murex with it's sponge covering

shells with the sponge rarely have any kind of calcareous growths on the shell, but shells that lose the protective red covering quickly become encrusted.