Hexaplex trunculus; trunculus murex

Japanese: ツロツブリボラ（英語表記）Hexaplex trunculus; trunculus murex

Mollusca, Gastropoda, Muricidae. Shell height 7.5cm, shell diameter 5.8cm. The shell is heavy, solid, and thick, spindle-shaped. The spiral spire is conical, and the thick longitudinal ribs become horn-like projections at the shoulders. The shell surface has a brown band on a gray-blue background, but it may be dirty with attached matter. It is widely distributed in the Mediterranean. The fluid from the subbranchial gland turns blue-purple when exposed to sunlight, so in Phoenicia and other places, this fluid was collected and used to dye cloth from around the 10th century BC. This is called shell purple. The dyed cloth was extremely expensive, and even in Roman times, only the Pope and cardinals were allowed to wear it, so the dye was also called imperial purple. The dye is dibromoindigo, which is indigo combined with bromine. Even today, shells with the dye extracted can be seen here and there along the Mediterranean coast, such as Syria.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

軟体動物門腹足綱アクキガイ科。殻高 7.5cm，殻径 5.8cm。殻は重厚堅固で太い紡錘形。螺塔は円錐形で，太い縦肋は肩で角状突起となる。殻表は灰青色地に褐色の色帯があるが，付着物でよごれていることもある。地中海に多く分布している。鰓下腺の液は日光に当ると青紫色に発色するため，フェニキアなどでは前 10世紀頃からこの液を集めて布を染めていた。これを貝紫と称する。染色された布はきわめて高価で，ローマ時代でも教会のローマ教皇と枢機卿だけが着用を許され，そのためこの染料をインペリアル・パープルとも称した。染料の成分はインジゴに臭素が結合したジブロムインジゴである。現在でもシリアなど地中海沿岸には染料をとったあとの貝殻がところどころにみられる。

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