I have never been to the Florida keys. I found mine at 17 sites
throughout St. Croix, Buck Island St. Croix, and St. John. I found then at a
one particular site on the south side of St. Croix in fairly dense conditions
at an average of 27 per square meter. That particular site had 19 varities of
algae and over 30 species of gastropods found in the splash, intertidal and
shallow benthic zones. I am probably telling you more than you wanted to
know. Sorry if you thought I found them in florida. I was actually responding
to the idea that they were found more commonly in deeper water.
        On the subject of the fluid, I have been told that it is similar to
the type of fluid found in epitoniid snails. It generally turns purple in
sunlight. I also have heard that the fluid (at least in epis) has an
anesthetizing effect on prey. However, I do not know if this is the same with
muricids.
 
Sarah
 
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
Sarah Watson
Silver Spring MD
[log in to unmask] or [log in to unmask]
<A
HREF="http://www.geocities.com/southbeach/tidepool/8845">http://www.geocities.
com/southbeach/tidepool/8845
</A>
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
 
" One cannot collect all the beautiful shells on the beach. One can only
collect a few, and they are more beautiful if they are few. "
-Anne Morrow Lindbergh