| Bolinus Temporal range:
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|---|---|
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| Two shells of the spiny dye-murex, Bolinus brandaris | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
| Order: | Neogastropoda |
| Superfamily: | Muricoidea |
| Family: | Muricidae |
| Subfamily: | Muricinae |
| Genus: | Bolinus Pusch, 1837[1] |
| Type species | |
| Murex brandaris Linnaeus, 1758
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| Synonyms[2] | |
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Bolinus is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.[2]
This genus is known in the fossil record from the Miocene to the Pliocene period (age range: from 15.97 to 2.588 million years ago.). Fossil shells within this genus have been found in Cyprus, Austria, Italy and Turkey.[3]
Some species of these molluscs were known since ancient times as a source for purple dye and also as a popular food source.
- ^ Pusch (1837). Polens Palaeont. (2): 134.
- ^ a b Bolinus Pusch, 1837. Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 25 April 2010.
- ^ Fossilworks