BIRUG 21207 - Mancinella armigera - Gastropod

BIRUG21207 was donated to the museum as ‘*Purpura armigera*’, but has now been reclassified to its current genus *Mancinella*. This species forms part of a family of predatory snails referred to as rock or murex snails - Muricidae - that feed on gastropods, bivalves, and barnacles. To hunt their well-protected prey, they use softening mucus and a radula (abrasive ‘tongue’) to bore a hole in the shell then consume the soft interior. Large spikes grow on many species of Muricidae and *Mancinella armigera* has several that grow on the body whorl in rows with some space between each row of spikes. This specimen was collected from Mauritius by Sowerby in 1883 and given to the Museum in 1916 by Sir George H. Holcroft. Scanning was performed by Sian Miller using an Artec Spider 3D scanner. Description by Jonathan Kimel.