6/B – Purple dye murex - Bolinus brandaris

Bulbous shell, with a sharp tip, that extends backwards with a long appendix shaped like a grooved pole. Its color ranges from grayish to yellowish-brown. It lives on sandy-muddy or detritus beds from a few meters up to 40 meters deep. It reproduces in spring laying eggs contained in whitish sponge-like nests. In addition, it is an excellent predator of other mollusks.