Murex, a genus of marine Gasteropods in the same set as buckies, cone-shells, and cowries. The members prey upon other molluscs, boring by means of the usual rasper. The shells are fringed with numerous spines in a very quaint and beautiful fashion, to which some names, as 'Venus Comb,' obviously refer. Several species, especially M. trunculus and M. brandaris, used to be crushed to furnish the famous dye of Tyrian purple. A few species occur on British coasts.—For Murexide (Purpure of Anmonia, or Roman Purple), see DYEING, Vol. IV. p. 139.