Vokesimurex elenensis, common name the (Santa) Elena murex, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.[1]

Vokesimurex elenensis
Two shells of Vokesimurex elenensis (museum specimens at Naturalis Biodiversity Center)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Neogastropoda
Family: Muricidae
Genus: Vokesimurex
Species:
V. elenensis
Binomial name
Vokesimurex elenensis
(Dall, 1909)
Synonyms[1]
  • Haustellum elenense (Dall, 1909)
  • Haustellum elenensis [sic] (incorrect gender ending)
  • Murex elenensis Dall, 1909
  • Murex plicatus G.B. Sowerby II, 1834 (invalid: junior homonym of Murex plicatus Gmelin, 1791; M. elenensis is a replacement name)

Description

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The size of the shell varies between 40 mm and 105 mm.

(Described as Murex plicatus) The shell is thick and heavy, the spines are obtuse, short on the whorls and long on the siphonal canal. The color is purplish white, darker within the aperture.[2]

Distribution

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This marine species occurs in the Pacific Ocean from Baja California, Mexico, to Peru

References

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  • Merle D., Garrigues B. & Pointier J.-P. (2011) Fossil and Recent Muricidae of the world. Part Muricinae. Hackenheim: Conchbooks. 648 pp.
  • Houart R. (2014). Living Muricidae of the world. Muricinae. Murex, Promurex, Haustellum, Bolinus, Vokesimurex and Siratus. Harxheim: ConchBooks. 197 pp.
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  • Dall, W. H. (1909). Report on a collection of shells from Peru, with a summary of the littoral marine Mollusca of the Peruvian zoological province. Proceedings of the United States National Museum. 37 (1704): 147–294, 9 pls
  • Sowerby, G. B. I; Sowerby, G. B. II. (1832-1841). The conchological illustrations or, Coloured figures of all the hitherto unfigured recent shells. London, privately published.
  • "Vokesimurex elenensis". Gastropods.com. Retrieved 16 January 2019.