Dear Murex-lovers,

What's the current opinion on whether M. occa is separate from scolopax?

I'm going through the book just out: "The Molluscs of the Southern Gulf of
Thailand," and I'm not sure whether my specimens from Phuket Sea are one or
the other.

I can't remember where, but I read that scolopax is distinctive for having a
broad flat tooth on the outer lip pointing toward the viewer. Mine do (my
specimens' teeth, not my personal teeth). However, none of them have strong
spiral ridges. One of my specimens is about 113mm, which is larger than
cited for occa in various books.

David Kirsh
Durham, NC