Bolinus brandaris (Linnaeus, 1758) In Alborán Sea and western Iberia

Trawled at 50-80m deep, on sand bottom. Boat based at Puerto Mazzarrón, Murcia, S. Spain. 65mm.

Variant ex forma “depressospinosus” from 30-40m deep, Marbella, Málaga, Andalucia, S. Spain. 70mm. Original pictures provided by B. Cunningham Aparicio (ES) – (CC BY-NC-SA).

The variant “trispinosus” Locard, 1886. 20m deep, on mud, Gibraltar strait, N. Morocco. 77,5mm. In the Strait, the species is locally abundant, often large, thin, with well developped spines that run, at the periphery of the last whorl, on two, three or four rows.

Same spot. 115mm.

Same spot. 91,5mm.

A large “trispinosus” from the Strait. 20m deep, sandy bottom, N. Morocco. 104mm.

Same spot. 75mm.

Same spot, variations in the number of rows of spines: “quadrispinosus” and “bispinosus” 64-73mm.

Same spot: an immature “trispinosus”. 53mm.

Albino trawled off Chipiona, western Cádiz, 2009. 78mm. Original picture provided by B. J. Muñoz Sanchez (ES). – (CC BY-NC-SA) –

Seafood on the fismarket of Jerez, Cádiz area, april 2017.

Rare banded specimen picked up at the fishmarket of Conil de la Frontera, western Cádiz. 84mm. Original pictures provided by B. Cunningham Aparicio (ES) – (CC BY-NC-SA).

Pale one. 45-50m deep, Olhão, Faro, S. Portugal. 93,3mm.

Broad one. 15-30m deep, Olhão. 88,9mm.

Olhão, 45-50m deep. 98mm.

A “cagliaritanus” from Olhão, 15-30m deep. 84,2mm.

At that’s all for this topic. We finish with this beautiful portrait given by António Luis (PT) – (CC BY-NC-SA). The next page is dedicated to the only other extant Bolinus species.

— back to part 1, or go to part 3, or to the Muricidae —