Species List for Family: Muricidae
toggle list/grid view >
Mollusca (Phylum) > Gastropoda (Class) > Caenogastropoda (Subclass) > Neogastropoda (Order) > Muricoidea (Superfamily) > Muricidae (Family)
Filter region: 
(greyed out images not recorded from filtered region)
Click here to filter list on Geographical RangeFamily: Muricidae
- Babelomurex lischkeanus (Dunker, 1882)
Height 62mm, Width 41mm
Marine, On scleractinian corals
North Island, Outer Hauraki Gulf to Bay of Plenty and New Plymouth. Also Japan, South China Sea, Philippines and Queensland to Victoria, Australia
KA
- Babelomurex nakamigawai (Kuroda, 1959)
Height 35mm, Width 24mm
Marine
Cavalli Seamount, ENE of North Cape, 470-480 metres. Also off Japan, South China Sea, Philippines and Australia
A - Babelomurex wormaldi (Powell, 1971)
Height 22mm, Width 18mm
Marine
Northland to Bay of Plenty. Also Kermadec Islands, Philippine Islands and South-West Pacific. Approximately 160-650 metres
A
- Coralliophila bulbiformis (Conrad, 1837)
Height 26mm, Width 19mm
Marine
Kermadec Islands. Off Poor Knights Islands, Northland
KA
- Coralliophila sertata (Hedley, 1903)
Height 22mm, Width 12mm
Marine
Off Three Kings Islands and Northland to East Cape
KA - Coralliophila solutistoma Kuroda & Shikama in Shikama, 1966
Height 27mm, Width 16mm
Marine
Kermadec Islands
K - Coralliophila sp. aff. sertata (Hedley, 1903)
Height 14mm, Width 8mm
Marine, Endemic
Kermadec Islands and northern NZ
KAE. - Coralliophila squamosissima (E.A. Smith, 1876)
Height 30mm, Width 21mm
Marine
South Africa, Indo-West Pacific, Australia, Kermadec Islands and Northland east coast
KA
- Emozamia licina (Hedley & Petterd, 1906)
Height 20mm, Width 14mm
Marine
Northland to Bay of Plenty. Also New South Wales to Tasmania, Australia, Japan, Philippines
A
- Hirtomurex marshalli Oliverio, 2008
Height 26mm, Width 15mm
Marine
Norfolk Ridge, 276-513 metres. NW of Cape Reinga, Far North, 570-580 metres. Cavalli Seamount, ENE of North Cape, 840-850 metres
KA
- Hirtomurex nakamurai Kosuge, 1985
Height 38mm, Width 23mm
Marine
Japan and Australia. Southern Norfolk Ridge, NW of Cape Reinga, Far North, 514-540 metres
A
- Hirtomurex tangaroa Marshall & Oliverio, 2009
Height 26mm, Width 16mm
Marine, Endemic
Southern Kermadec Ridge, 698-1140 metres. Off Hokianga, 1029-1074 metres
KAE. - Hirtomurex taranui Marshall & Oliverio, 2009
Height 32mm, Width 17mm
Marine, Endemic
Off Gisborne, 750-913 metres. E of Mercury Island, 990-1100 metres. Southern Kermadec Ridge, 712-924 metres
AE. - Latiaxis pilsbryi Hirase, 1908
Width 7.7mm, Height 5.2mm
Marine
Western Pacific, Kermadec Islands, 366-422 metres
K - Magilus sp. cf. antiquus Montfort, 1810
Width 21mm, Height 18.5mm
Marine
Raoul Island, Kermadec Islands, beach
K - Mipus matsumotoi Kosuge, 1985
Height 26.5mm, Width 11.5mm
Marine
Southern Japan, South Africa and tropical W Pacific. Norfolk Ridge and Kermadec Islands, 465-756 metres
K - Oppomorus noduliferus (Menke, 1829)
Height 24mm, Width 15mm
Marine
Northland east coast. Also New South Wales, Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island, New Caledonia and Kermadec Islands
KA
- Pascula palmeri (Powell, 1967)
Height 26mm, Width 14mm
Marine
Kermadec Islands, Northland east coast, down to Bay of Plenty and off East Cape
KA
- Uttleya ahiparana (Powell, 1927)
Height 20mm, Width 8mm
Marine, Endemic
Northland. Dredged around 30-40 metres
AE.
- Uttleya williamsi Powell, 1952
Height 11mm, Width 3.5mm
Marine, Endemic
North Island, Bay of Plenty
AE. 
- Haustrum haustorium (Gmelin, 1791)
Height 81mm, Width 56mm
Brown Rock Shell, Dark Rock Shell, Marine, Endemic
North, South and Chatham Islands
ACME.
- Haustrum lacunosum (Bruguière, 1789)
Height 40mm, Width 25mm
Marine, Endemic, Lamellose within the grooves
Cook Strait south, Stewart Island, Auckland and Chatham Islands
CFMAnE.
- Haustrum scobina (Quoy & Gaimard, 1833)
Height 34mm, Width 20mm
Oyster Borer, Marine, Endemic
Throughout New Zealand and the Chatham Islands
ACFME.
- Chicoreus ramosus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Marine
Tropical Indo-Pacific. Occasional records from Tauranga and Takou Bay, Northland
A
- Phyllocoma speciosa virginalis (Suter, 1913)
Height 16mm, Width 7mm
Marine, Endemic, Dredged or found in shell-sand
Northland to Bay of Plenty
AE.
- Timbellus flemingi (Beu, 1967)
Height 35mm
Marine, Endemic
Trawled off Three Kings Islands, and Northland to Palliser Bay
ACE.
- Timbellus richeri (Houart, 1987)
Height 28mm
Marine
North Island, E. of Poor Knights Islands. Also off New Caledonia
A
- Murexsul espinosus (Hutton, 1885)
Height 35mm, Width 17mm
Marine, Endemic
Late Pliocene to early Pleistocene, eastern North Island between Hastings and Cape Palliser. Recent from Ranfurly Bank, off East Cape to off Mahia Peninsula
ACE.
- Murexsul mariae Finlay, 1930
Height 30mm, Width 14mm
Marine, Endemic
Three Kings Islands, North Island as far south as East Cape
AE.
- Murexsul octogonus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1833)
Height 89mm, Width 48mm
Octagonal Murex, Marine, Endemic
Three Kings and North Island down to Kapiti Island and Mahia Peninsula
ACE.
- Murexsul profundus (B.A. Marshall & K.W. Burch, 2000)
Height 10.5mm
Marine, Endemic
Off Three Kings Islands, 91-710 metres
AE.
- Rolandiella scotti (B.A. Marshall & K.W. Burch, 2000)
Height 60mm, Width 32mm
Marine, Endemic
Three Kings Islands and NE North Island, 13-168 metres, living 8-40 metres
AE.
- Axymene aucklandicus (E.A. Smith, 1902)
Height 13mm, Width 6.5mm
Marine, Endemic
Cook Strait to Stewart Island. Snares, Bounty, Campbell and Auckland Islands
CFAnE.
- Comptella costata B.A. Marshall & Houart, 2022
Marine, Endemic
Middlesex Bank and Three Kings Islands, 15-508 metres
AE. - Comptella cresswelli B.A. Marshall & Houart, 2022
Height 5.05mm, Width 2.45mm
Marine, Recent, Fossil, Endemic
Late Pleistocene (Haweran) and Holocene. Southern South Island, Stewart, Snares, Auckland, Antipodes and Bounty Islands, 0-220 metres; taken alive at 26-80 metres from bryozoan/shell substrata
FAnR.Fo.E. - Comptella curta (R. Murdoch, 1905)
Height 7mm, Width 3mm
Marine, Endemic
South Island. Off Taiaroa Head, Otago, to Stewart Island. Snares, Campbell and Auckland Islands
FAnE.
- Comptella kaikoura B.A. Marshall & Houart, 2022
Height 7.7mm
Marine, Endemic
North-eastern South Island, living at 400 metres
CE. - Comptella munida B.A. Marshall & Houart, 2022
Marine, Endemic
Off south-eastern South Island, 150-343 metres (shells)
FE. - Comptella paulini B.A. Marshall & Houart, 2022
Height 5.60mm
Marine, Endemic
Fiordland, south-western South Island, 13-415 metres (shells)
FE. - Comptella pygmaea B.A. Marshall & Houart, 2022
Height 4.10mm
Marine, Endemic
South-western South Island, 13-415 metres (shells)
FE. - Enixotrophon carduelis (R.B. Watson, 1882)
Height 40mm, Width 25mm
Marine
New South Wales, southern Lord Howe Rise, West Norfolk Ridge, Kermadec Ridge, and off north-eastern North Island, 320-1216 metres
KAC - Enixotrophon eos (B.A. Marshall & Houart, 2011)
Height 45mm, Width 23mm
Marine, Endemic
South-eastern North Island, south-eastern South Island and Chatham Rise, 1100-2130 metres
CFME. - Enixotrophon eumorphus B.A. Marshall & Houart, 2011
Height 24.6mm
Marine
Macquarie Ridge, 460-470 metres
An - Enixotrophon hastulus (B.A. Marshall & Houart, 2011)
Height 53.4mm
Marine, Endemic
Chatham Rise, 1000-1010 metres
ME. - Enixotrophon latus (B.A. Marshall & Houart, 2011)
Height 55mm, Width 32mm
Marine
Eastern Australia, Lord Howe Rise, Kermadec Ridge, Chatham Rise, and off North Island and north-eastern and western South Island, 384-1395 meters
KACFM
- Enixotrophon macquariensis (Powell, 1957)
Height 22mm, Width 10.5mm
Marine, Endemic
Macquarie Ridge, 69-810 metres
AnE. - Enixotrophon maxwelli (B.A. Marshall & Houart, 2011)
Height 53mm, Width 22mm
Marine, Endemic
West Norfolk Ridge, W of Cape Reinga, Challenger Plateau, off North and South Islands, Chatham Rise, Bounty Trough, 867-2677 metres
CFME.
- Enixotrophon obtusus (B.A. Marshall & Houart, 2011)
Height 29mm
Marine
Fiji, West Norfolk Ridge, Southern Norfolk Ridge, Three Kings Rise, Kermadec Ridge, and off northern and eastern North Island, 741-1385 metres
KAC
- Enixotrophon occiduus (B.A. Marshall & Houart, 2011)
Height 26mm, Width 11mm
Marine, Endemic
West Norfolk Ridge, 950-987 metres
AE.
- Enixotrophon pumilus B.A. Marshall & Houart, 2022
Height 9.9mm
Marine, Endemic
West Norfolk Ridge, W of Cape Reinga, 785-800 metres
AE. - Enixotrophon pygmaeus (B.A. Marshall & Houart, 2011)
Height 13mm
Marine
Lord Howe Rise and Challenger Plateau, 1029-1186 metres
C - Enixotrophon tangaroa (B.A. Marshall & Houart, 2011)
Height 37mm
Marine, Endemic
North-eastern South Island and Chatham Rise, 880-2155 metres
CME.
- Enixotrophon venustus (B.A. Marshall & Houart, 2011)
Height 55mm, Width 21mm
Marine
Tasmania, West Norfolk Ridge S of Norfolk Island, Kermadec Ridge, and off northern and eastern North Island, Hikurangi Trench and Chatham Rise, 850-1239 metres
KACMAn
- Enixotrophon veronicae (Pastorino, 1999)
Height 52mm, Width 22mm
Marine
Southern Chile, Strait of Magellan, South Georgia, Tasmania and Bollons Plateau, southern New Zealand, 298-1281 metres
An - Lamellitrophon carinatus B.A. Marshall & Houart, 2022
Height 5.9mm
Marine, Endemic
King Bank, Three Kings Islands, off Cape Reinga and off White Island, 15-805 metres, living at 15-23 metres
AE. - Lamellitrophon huttonii (Murdoch, 1900)
Height 16mm, Width 7mm
Marine, Endemic
North, South and Stewart Island
ACFE.
- Lamellitrophon tangaroa B.A. Marshall & Houart, 2022
Height 6.4mm
Marine, Endemic
Middlesex Bank, Three Kings Islands, and north-eastern North Island, from Spirits Bay to as far south as Ranfurly Bank, 16-143 metres, living at 50-56 metres
AE. - Lamellitrophon teres (Finlay, 1930)
Height 6mm, Width 3.3mm
Marine, Endemic
South Island, off Taiaroa Head, Otago, 90 metres
FE. - Lamellitrophon traversi (Hutton, 1873)
Height 22mm, Width 10mm
Marine, Endemic
North, South, Stewart and Chatham Islands, littoral to shallow subtidal. More common in north
ACFME.
- Lenitrophon convexus (Suter, 1909)
Height 12.4mm, Width 4.5mm
Marine, Endemic
Southern South Island. Stewart, Snares and Chatham Islands
FMAnE.
- Paratrophon cheesemani (Hutton, 1882)
Height 19mm, Width 11mm
Marine, Endemic
North Island west coast, from Ninety Mile Beach to Kawhia
ACE.
- Paratrophon cheesemani exsculptus Powell, 1933
Height 23mm, Width 13mm
Marine, Endemic
West Coast North and South Islands from Port Waikato to Jackson Bay, south of Haast
CFE.
- Paratrophon patens (Hombron & Jacquinot, 1854)
Height 29mm, Width 17mm
Marine, Endemic, Lamellose within the grooves
South Island and Stewart Island. On exposed rocky shores
CFE.
- Paratrophon quoyi (Reeve, 1846)
Height 35mm, Width 18mm
Marine, Endemic
North Island. From low tide, often around Corallina seaweed
ACE.
- Poirieria kopua Dell, 1956
Height 21mm, Width 15mm
Marine, Endemic
Off Bay of Plenty southwards and Chatham Rise. Trawled around 500-1000 metres
CFME.
- Poirieria syrinx B.A. Marshall & Houart, 1995
Height 26mm, Width 24mm
Marine, Endemic
Northland to Bay of Plenty, and Cook Strait, 482-786 metres on mud
ACE.
- Poirieria zelandica (Quoy & Gaimard, 1833)
Width 88mm, Height 79mm
Spiny Murex, Marine, Endemic
Three Kings Islands to Stewart Island, Challenger Plateau and Chatham Islands, 0-540 metres
ACFME.
- Terefundus coronatus (Dell, 1956)
Height 5.5mm, Width 2.2mm
Marine, Endemic
South Island. Off Mernoo Bank to Chatham Islands
CME.
- Terefundus crispulatus (Suter, 1908)
Height 4mm, Width 1.9mm
Marine, Endemic
Lower South Island. Stewart Chathams and Snares Islands
FMAnE. - Terefundus cuvierensis (Mestayer, 1919)
Height 4.5mm, Width 2mm
Marine, Endemic
Northland to Bay of Plenty, trawled
AE.
- Terefundus goniocorella B.A. Marshall & Houart, 2022
Height 8.8mm
Marine, Endemic
Off Kaikoura, north-eastern South Island, 400 metres
CE. - Terefundus grebneffi B.A. Marshall & Houart, 2022
Height 7.6mm
Marine, Endemic
Eastern South Island, 421-530 metres, living at 476-485 metres
CFE. - Terefundus gregarius B.A. Marshall & Houart, 2022
Height 9.5mm
Marine, Endemic
Eastern South Island, 128-555 metres, living at 293-476 metres
CFE. - Terefundus mernoo B.A. Marshall & Houart, 2022
Height 4.5mm
Marine, Endemic
Mernoo Bank, western Chatham Rise, living at 320-419 metres
CE. - Terefundus nitens B.A. Marshall & Houart, 2022
Height 5.5mm
Marine, Endemic
Off The Aldermen Islands and off Mayor Island, north-eastern North Island, 348-443 metres, living at 443-527 metres
AE. - Terefundus quadricinctus (Suter, 1908)
Height 4.4mm, Width 2.1mm
Marine, Recent, Fossil, Endemic
South Island, from Otago south, and Snares Islands
FAnR.Fo.E. - Terefundus quadricinctus unicarinatus Dell, 1956
Height 4.3mm, Width 2.3mm
Marine, Endemic
Off Chatham Islands
ME.
- Terefundus sepulcralis B.A. Marshall & Houart, 2022
Height 6.85mm
Marine, Endemic
Graveyard Seamount complex, Chatham Rise, 800-990 metres
CE. - Terefundus venustus B.A. Marshall & Houart, 2022
Marine, Endemic
Off Otago Peninsula, South-eastern South Island, living at 340-620 metres
FE. 
- Xymene plebeius (Hutton, 1873)
Height 22mm, Width 11mm
Marine, Endemic, In harbours and estuaries
North, South and Stewart Island
ACFE.
- Xymene pumilus (Suter, 1909)
Height 30mm, Width 15mm
Marine, Endemic
From Cape Campbell to Stewart Island, and Auckland Islands. Sublittoral to about 550 metres
CFAnE.
- Xymenella pusilla (Suter, 1907)
Height 10mm, Width 5mm
Marine, Endemic
North Island and east coast of South Island to Stewart Island
ACFE.
- Zeatrophon ambiguus (Philippi, 1844)
Height 64mm, Width 38mm
Marine, Endemic
North, South, Stewart and Chatham Islands. From low tide to about 50 fathoms
ACFME.
- Zeatrophon mortenseni (Odhner, 1924)
Height 15mm, Width 6.5mm
Marine, Endemic
Off Auckland Islands, intertidal to about 10 metres
AnE.
- Zeatrophon mortenseni caudatinus (Finlay, 1930)
Height 23mm, Width 10mm
Marine, Endemic
Northland to Stewart Island and Chatham Islands. From 20-200 metres
ACFME.
- Zeatrophon pulcherrimus Finlay, 1930
Height 18mm, Width 7mm
Marine, Endemic
North, South, Stewart and Chatham Islands. From 15-600 metres
ACFME.
- Agnewia tritoniformis (Blainville, 1832)
Height 29mm, Width 16mm
Marine
Northland to Bay of Plenty. Also Australia, Queensland to SA and Tasmania
A
- Dicathais orbita (Gmelin, 1791)
Height 120mm, Width 75mm
White Rock Shell, Cart Rut Shell, Marine
Northland to northern South Island and Chatham Islands. Also Australia and Lord Howe Island
KACM
- Neothais smithi (Brazier, 1889)
Height 34mm, Width 22mm
Marine
Northland east coast to Mayor Island, Bay of Plenty. Also Lord Howe, Norfolk and Kermadec Islands
KA
- Rapana venosa (Valenciennes, 1846)
Height 118mm, Width 85mm
Marine, Not found living in NZ waters
In cray pots off Cape Maria van Diemen
A - Ponderia tangaroa B.A. Marshall & Houart, 2022
Height 15.4mm
Marine, EndemicWanganella Bank, West Norfolk Ridge, living at 113 metres
KE. - Ponderia zealandica Hutton, 1873
Height 30mm, Width 21mm
Marine, Recent, Fossil, Endemic
Cook Strait and off Cape Campbell, Bay of Plenty to East Cape. Castlecliff, Wanganui fossil
CR.Fo.E.
- Prototyphis eos (Hutton, 1873)
Height 30mm, Width 16mm
Dawn Murex, Marine, Endemic
Northland east coast to Bay of Plenty and East Cape
AE.
- Prototyphis eos paupereques (Powell, 1974)
Height 30mm, Width 19mm
Marine, Endemic
Off northland east coast
AE. - Leptotrophon occiduus B.A. Marshall & Houart, 2022
Height 11.0mm
Marine, Endemic
West Norfolk Ridge, West of Cape Reinga, 785-800 metres
AE. - Leptotrophon wanganella B.A. Marshall & Houart, 2022
Marine, Endemic
Wanganella Bank, West Norfolk Ridge, 126-133 metres
AE. - Minortrophon crassiliratus (Suter, 1908)
Height 3mm, Width 1.5mm
Marine, Endemic
South Island. Off Taiaroa Head, Otago, to Stewart Island. Off Snares and Chatham Islands
FMAnE. - Trophon albolabratus E.A. Smith, 1875
Height 38mm, Width 22mm
Marine, Endemic
Bounty Plateau, also Kerguelen and Macquarie Islands below low tide
AnE.
- Trophon mawsoni Powell, 1957
Height 46mm, Width 28mm
Marine, Endemic
Off Macquarie Island, 29-549 metres
AnE.
- Monstrotyphis montfortii (A. Adams, 1863)
Height 9.1mm
Marine
Northern Japan, Philippine Islands, Natal and Transkei, South Africa, and northern New Zealand, living at 50-200 metres
A - Monstrotyphis pauperis (Mestayer, 1916)
Height 10mm, Width 6mm
Marine, Endemic
Northland to Bay of Plenty
AE.
- Monstrotyphis tangaroa B.A. Marshall & Houart, 2012
Height 7.9mm
Marine, Endemic
Northern New Zealand, 63-622 metres
AE. - Siphonochelus solus Vella, 1961
Height 8mm, Width 4mm
Marine, Endemic
Western and north-eastern North Island and north-western South Island, 178-1029 metres
ACE.
- Ingensiella anomala (Dell, 1956)
Height 7.1mm
Marine, Endemic
South Island. Off Eastern Otago and Chatham Islands
FME.
Key to Geographical Ranges
The symbols K.A.C.F.M.An. are used to indicate the geographical range of the species.
They have been adopted to give an approximation of the range of each species within New Zealand.
K=
Kermadec Islands
A=
Aupourian - Kaipara Harbour, north around North Cape, encompassing the Three Kings Islands and south to East Cape
C=
Cookian - Lower North Island and the northern part of the South Island
F=
Forsterian - Otago, Fiordland and Stewart Island
M=
Moriorian - Chatham Islands, Pitt Island
An=
Antipodean - Subantarctic Islands of New Zealand
Fw =
Freshwater
L =
Land
N =
North Island
S =
South Island
E =
Endemic
I =
Introduced
R =
Recent
Sf =
Subfossil
Fo =
Fossil
Compare Species (
/6)
