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Tyrian, also known as Tyrian Red and Imperial Purple, is a reddish-purple natural dye that’s secreted by several species of predatory sea snails. Its extraction is an ancient process, where the acquisition of the dye involved tens of thousands of snails and substantial labor, and as a result, the dye was highly valued.
![Tyrian Purple Snail Tyrian Purple Snail](/uploads/1/2/5/6/125630023/549911568.jpg)
. ^, ). Houart, R.; Gofas, S. Bolinus brandaris (Linnaeus, 1758).
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& D'Attilio A. Murex shells of the world.
An illustrated guide to the Muricidae. Stanford Univ. Press, Stanford, x + pp. 1–284 incl 192 figs. + 32 pls. Vasconcelos P., Barroso C. 'Meat yield of Bolinus brandaris (Gastropoda: Muricidae): Comparative assessment of the influence of sex, size and reproductive status'. 81(2): 255-267.
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