Murex Tectum Sinense in G.-P. Deshayes: “Description d’espèces nouvelles”, Journal de conchyliologie vol. V (ser.2:t.1), Paris 1856. The description does not mention the right numbers for the figures, leading to an interchange between Murex Tectum Sinense and Murex laceratum. The drawings above show tectumsinense and not, as writen in the article, laceratum (a synonym of cariniferus), which bears a crown of obviously much more developed triangular spines.
 
« Shell fusiform, swollen, spiky, of a uniform rust yellow; apex acute; spire of 8-9 whorls, the last exceeding half of the total length. Suture deep, but hidden by nodules. Externally the shell is covered with longitudinal nodular ribs, obsolete in the first whorls, marked in the last one; moreover, it presents transverse furrows and ribs. The upper part of the whorls bears small furrows, which change into thorns near the suture. »

« The large spines, highly developed on the last whorl, form a belt, or serrated crest, composed of triangular spinules, obliquely costulated, with a sharp tip. This last whorl is divided by the ridge in two portions: the upper one, bearing 7-8 equal, narrow ribs; the lower one bearing seven very marked, and between which are six smaller ones; sinus oblique, a little raised; columella straight, barely callous; labial edge incised, carrying eight or ten folds inside. » – Ibid. In fact, the spiral sculpture is not always as described in Deshayes. The strenght of the ribs varies a little.
 
Above: large adult collected at 20-25m deep, Iż-Żurrieq area, southern coast of Malta. 38,8mm. Original pictures provided by A. Nappo (IT) – (CC BY-NC-SA).