Heteropurpura

Heteropurpura is an extinct genus of predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the rock snails or murex snails.

Heteropurpura
Temporal range:
Fossil shell of Heteropurpura polymorpha from Pliocene of Italy
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Mollusca
Class:
Gastropoda
(unranked):
clade Caenogastropoda
clade Hypsogastropoda
clade Neogastropoda
Superfamily:
Muricoidea
Family:
Muricidae
Genus:
Heteropurpura

Species:
H. polymorpha
Binomial name
Heteropurpura polymorpha
Brocchi 1814
Synonyms
  • Murex polymorphus

Fossil records

The fossil record of this species dates back to the Pliocene (age range: 3.6 to 2.588 million years ago). These fossils have been found in Italy and Spain.[1]

Description

Shells of Heteropurpura species can reach a size of about 35 millimetres (1.4 in).[2]

Species
  • †Heteropurpura polymorpha Brocchi 1814

References
  1. Fossilworks
  2. Malachia


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