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204 frondose, scaly spines bordering the outer lip and siphonal canal. Top spine sometimes twice as long as the others. Color dark-brown, light-brown, or whitish and, in the latter case, the nuclear whorls at the spire are pinkish. Usually 1 axial low ridge between each varix, although occasionally with more and smaller axial ribs.

The Lace Murex is one of Florida's most common species in this genus. It lives in a wide variety of habitats from mangrove, muddy areas to protected rocks and frequently in clear, sandy areas. The ecological variety, which is whitish and with reduced spines, was named arenarius by Clench and Farfante. This species differs from the 4 to 5 inch-long M. brevifrons in being smaller, in having closely crowded scaly spines, and in having a round instead of elongate operculum. For many years this species was called rufus Lamarck 1822 (not rufus Montagu 1803).

Murex cellulosus Conrad

North Carolina to Florida, the Gulf of Mexico and the West Indies.

1 inch in length. Shell rough, with 5 to 7 poorly developed fluted varices. It rarely develops spines, but when present they are short and stubby with a thin webbing connecting each spine in the varix. The siphonal canal strongly upturned. Aperture small, almost round. Color a dull grayish white.

This is one of the smallest and most compact species of Murex on the Atlantic Coast and is often found in shallow, intertidal waters, especially near oyster beds where it probably does moderate damage to young oysters. Its identification is made difficult when the siphonal canal has been broken off