Murex echinodes is a recently described Murex species endemic to a small part of northwest Indian Ocean, from Gulf of Oman to Kuwait.

It is part of a complex which also includes Murex scolopax Dillwyn, 1817, Murex somalicus Parth, 1990, and Murex megapex Neubert, 1998; and was considered as a form of M. scolopax until 2011 when Roland Houart remarked on their consistent differences and described it as a new species.

Adult specimens are most easily differentiated from M. scolopax by the existence of a short but obvious second primary spine (P2 sensu Merle, 2005), which is lacking in adult M. scolopax (also M. somalicus). Compared to the very rare M. megapex only known from the types, it has a much smaller protoconch with less whorls (1.6-1.75 vs 3 in M. megapex) and lacks the lattice sculpture on the earlier whorls.

There are many more intriguing distinctions between the species in this complex listed in the description paper (Houart, 2011) such as ontogenic differences, readers are referred there for further information.

It is a carnivorous and predatory gastropod inhabiting shallow water from the very low tide zone to about -50m deep, and is uncommon to rather rare. The colouration is white to light tan, fresh collected specimens often have brown flammules all over the shell. Typical shell length around 110mm. Very large specimens may exceed 150mm.

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