The “Fenestrate Murex” is a very colourful and beautiful muricid. This species appear to undergo colour change as growth progresses and comes in two forms, a smaller pink form and a larger yellow form shown here. The yellow form was known under the name of Murex fenestratus Dillwyn, 1817 but is generally accepted today as larger adults of the pink form, although some still consider it a separate species.

The yellow form is rare and usually above 30mm in size and may approach 60mm, while the pink form is not uncommon and below 30mm in shell length. Interestingly, the yellow form is generally found in shallower depths (-5~50m) than the pink form (-50~300m).

It is a predatory gastropod with a vast range from West Indian Ocean and Red Sea across to Philippines, Japan, and Hawaii. Specimens of the yellow form usually have lost the intricate scales and frills between varices, but the shown specimen is superb and retains them. – from Chong Chen’s post

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