Chicoreus palmarosae BIRUG 22623

BIRUG 22623 is the shell of *Chicoreus palmarosae* – the ‘rose-branch murex’, a predatory sea snail found around the Indian Ocean, the southwest coast of Japan, Indonesia, the east coast of Australia and the Coral Sea. This species of sea snail often feeds upon clams – generally opting to bore through the clam’s shell; however it may alternatively attack through the clam’s opening (Govan *et al*., 1993). For this reason it is often viewed as a pest of farmed clams. This specimen was collected in Sri Lanka in 1886 by George Brettingham Sowerby III, a British Conchologist, who alongside his father and Grandfather (G. B. Sowerby I & II) created the “Thesaurus Conchyliorium” – an illustrated guide to many species of molluscs. This specimen was gifted to the Museum in 1916 by Sir George H. Holcroft. Scanning was performed by Sian Miller using an Artec Spider 3D scanner.