There have been studies on some species within the family Muricidae, because in those species this gland secretes the precursor to the historically important natural dye, Tyrian purple.
This name refers to the drupe shells, whose snails were commonly eaten and found throughout the Hawaiian Islands in shallow, rocky areas.
Another development among Muricidae was the ability to bore through shells and consume prey.
Bolinus brandaris (originally called Murex brandaris by Linnaeus), and commonly known as the purple dye murex or the spiny dye-murex, is a species of medium-sized predatory sea snail, an edible marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or the rock snails.