Southwest Florida Shells
by José H. Leal
Family Muricidae
Vokesimurex cabritii
(Bernardi, 1859)
Cabrit's Murex
Shell size up to 60 Shell with varices present every 120 degrees. Varices bearing spines that extend onto long siphonal canal. Spines on siphonal canal 3 to 7. Color white, cream, pinkish, or yellowish, with darker bands sometimes present, stronger band about mid-whorl, more prominent on body whorl. Shells collected on the beach have worn, blunt spines, those dredged offshore present very sharp spines (see first secondary image). The specimen in the last secondary image was dredged offshore in the eastern Gulf of Mexico during a research cruise led by Dr. Greg Herbert, University of South Florida.