Editing Hexaplex trunculus (section)

{{Short description|Species of gastropod}}
{{Speciesbox
| fossil_range = {{fossil range|3.6|0|[[Pliocene]] – Recent}}
| image = Hexaplex-trunculus-Purpurschnecke.jpg
| image_caption = ''Hexaplex trunculus''
| image2 = Hexaplex trunculus.jpg
| image2_caption = ''Hexaplex trunculus''
| genus = Hexaplex
| parent = Hexaplex (Trunculariopsis)
| species = trunculus
| authority = ([[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]])
| synonyms = * ''Hexaplex (Trunculariopsis) trunculus'' <small>(Linnaeus, 1758)·</small> accepted, alternate representation
''Murex armigerus'' <small>Settepassi, 1970</small> (not available, published in a work which does not consistently use binomial nomenclature (ICZN art. 11.4))
* ''Murex coronatus'' <small>Monterosato in Franceschini, 1906</small> 
* ''Murex dumosus'' <small>de Stefani, 1875</small> 
* ''Murex falcatus'' <small>Sandri & Danilo, 1856</small> (invalid: junior homonym of ''Murex falcatus'' <small>G.B. Sowerby, 1834</small>)
* ''Murex fasciatus'' <small>Risso, 1826</small> (invalid: junior homonym of ''Murex fasciatus'' <small>Gmelin, 1791</small>)
* ''Murex gallica'' <small>Dollfus, 1926</small> 
* ''Murex gallicus'' <small>Dollfus, 1923</small> 
* ''Murex neomagensis'' <small>Fontannes, 1879</small> (dubious synonym)
* ''Murex polygonulus'' <small>Lamarck, 1822</small> 
* ''Murex portulanus'' <small>Monterosato in Franceschini, 1906</small> 
* ''Murex ramulosus'' R<small>isso, 1826</small> 
* ''Murex rivalis'' <small>Monterosato, 1923</small> 
* ''Murex soldanii'' <small>de Stefani, 1875</small>
* ''Murex soldanii meneghini'' <small>de Stefani, 1875</small> 
* ''Murex solidior'' <small>Monterosato in Franceschini, 1906</small> 
* ''Murex subasperrimus'' <small>d'Orbigny, 1852</small> 
* ''Murex taurinensis'' <small>Bellardi & Sacco, 1872</small> (dubious synonym)
* ''Murex trunculus'' <small>[[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]]</small>
* ''Murex yoldii'' <small>Mörch in Sowerby, 1879</small>
* ''Phyllanotus trunculus'' <small>(Linnaeus, 1758)</small>
* ''Polyplex purpurescens'' <small>Perry, 1811</small>
* ''Truncularia trunculus'' <small>(Linnaeus, 1758)</small> 
* ''Truncularia trunculus var. aspera'' <small>Monterosato in Coen, 1933</small> 
* ''Truncularia trunculus var. bulo'' <small>Coen, 1933</small> 
* ''Truncularia trunculus var. purpurifera'' <small>Coen, 1933</small> 
* ''Truncularia trunculus var. tetragona'' <sup>Stalio in Coen, 1933</sup> (infrasubspecific name, not recognized by ICZN)
* ''Trunculariopsis trunculus'' <small>([[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]])</small>
}}

'''''Hexaplex trunculus''''' (previously known as '''''Murex trunculus''''', '''''Phyllonotus trunculus''''', or the '''banded dye-murex''') is a medium-sized  [[sea snail]], a [[marine (ocean)|marine]] [[gastropod]] [[mollusk]] in the family [[Muricidae]], the [[murex]] shells or rock snails. It is included in the subgenus ''Trunculariopsis''.<ref name="WoRMS" />

This species is a group of opportunist predatory snails that are known to attack their prey in groups. What is peculiar about this specific species is that they show no preference for the size of their prey, regardless of their hunger levels.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Guler|first1=Mehmet|last2=Lok|first2=Aynur|date=2019|title=Foraging Behaviors of a Predatory Snail (Hexaplex trunculus) in Group-Attacking|journal=Turkish Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences|volume=19|issue=5|pages=391–398|doi=10.4194/1303-2712-v19_5_04|issn=1303-2712|doi-access=free}}</ref>

The snail appears in fossil records dating between the [[Pliocene]] and [[Quaternary]] periods (between 3.6 and 0.012 million years ago). Fossilized shells have been found in Morocco, Italy, and Spain.<ref name=AA>[https://paleobiodb.org/classic/checkTaxonInfo?taxon_no=190365 Fossilworks]</ref>

This sea snail is historically important because its hypobranchial gland secretes a mucus used to create a distinctive purple-blue [[indigo]] [[dye]]. Ancient [[Mediterranean]] cultures, including the Minoans, [[Canaanites]]/[[Phoenicians]] and classical [[Greeks]] created dyes from the snails. One of the dye's main chemical ingredients is red dibromo-[[indigotin]], the main component of [[tyrian purple]] or [[tekhelet]].<ref name="Radwin, G. E 1986. p93">{{cite book |author1=Radwin, G. E. |author2=D'Attilio, A. |year=1986 |title=Murex shells of the world. An illustrated guide to the Muricidae |page=93 |publisher=Stanford University Press |location=Stanford, CA}} 284&nbsp;pp incl 192&nbsp;figs. & 32&nbsp;pls.</ref> The dye will turn indigo blue, similar to the color of blue jeans, if exposed to sunlight before the dye sets.

;Subspecies:
* ''Hexaplex trunculus trunculus'' <small>(Linnaeus, 1758)</small>