Fossil and Recent Muricidae of the World, Part Muricinae

About this book

The subfamily of the Muricinae includes 47 genera and subgenera. These (sub)genera represent together around 780 valid names of fossil (378) and Recent (400) species. 650 or 83% of these species are covered in this book. Of these 650 species, around 54% are illustrated by their type material.

Almost thirty five years ago, two legendary semi-popular books on the family Muricidae were published in the same year: Radwin & D’Attilio (1976) and Fair (1976). Knowledge on the family has, however, increased enormously during the last thirty years. Many new species and new genera have been added and progress in phylogenetic analysis has changed the view of the subfamilial classification. The goal of Fossil and Recent Muricidae of the World is to fill this gap of 35 years and provide a new synthesis, taking into account these additions and progress.

The first volume is dedicated to the Muricinae. This subfamily, as traditionally conceived, includes 47 genera and subgenera, but it likely constitutes a polyphyletic assemblage. It is divided here into five informal groups:
1°) the Muricinae (s.s.) group including nominotypical genus of the subfamily: Murex (s.s.), M. (Promurex) and Haustellum, Vokesimurex, Siratus, Bolinus, Hexaplex (s.s.), H. (Muricanthus), H. (Trunculariopsis), Chicoreus (s.s.), C. (Chicopinnatus), C. (Rhizophorimurex), C. (Triplex), Chicomurex, Phyllonotus and Naquetia;
2°) the Pterynotus-Textiliomurex group including: Prerynotus (s.s.), P. (Pterymarchia) and Textiliomurex Merle nov. gen.;
3°) the basal muricids group including: Timbellus, Pterochelus, Purpurellus, Ponderia, Prototyphis, Poirieria (s.s.), P. (Actinotrophon), P. (Caelobassus), P. (Pagodula), Paziella (s.s.), P. (Bouchetia), P. (Flexopteron), Crassimurex (s.s.), C. (Eopaziella), Harmatia, Gamurex Merle nov. gen. and Falsimuricopsis Merle nov. gen.;
4°) the Calotrophon-Attiliosa group including: Calotrophon (s.s.), C. (Acantholabia), C. (Panamurex) and Attiliosa;
5°) the aspelloid group including Aspella, Dermomurex (s.s.), D. (Gracilimurex), Dermomurex (Takia), D. (Trialatella), D. (Viator) and lngensia.
The subfamilial place of the four last groups should be regarded as provisional. These (sub)genera represent together around 780 valid names of fossil (378) and Recent (400) species. The taxonomic treatment of each (sub)genus includes a detailed description of the type species with one or two related text-figures, a comment on the limits of variation and the (sub)generic characters, a list of the Recent species (with synonyms) and a paleontological part including the first appearance, the stratigraphic range, and a list of the fossil species (with synonyms). As much as possible, we tried to illustrate all the species recorded in the literature. Six hundred and fifty fossil and recent species are represented in 182 plates, or 83% of the total. Of these 650 species, around 54% are illustrated by their type material.

New Taxa: Hexaplex (Trunculariopsis) gabori n. nom., Paziella (Flexopteron) ravni n.nom., Textiliomurex n. gen. Merle, Gamurex n. gen. Merle and Falsimuricopsis n. gen. Merle.

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