Venus Comb

 Venus Comb Murex

To say my parents were avid shell collectors is putting it mildly. I have vivid memories of them coming home from dives while we were living in the Philippines. Invariably, they brought home either shells or something for our fish tank. The process was always the same, they would come home and place the shells in the ant bed. The ants were fed handsomely, and in two weeks we had shells that were incredibly clean and beautiful. It was like Christmas, carefully removing the shells from the ant bed and finding the treasures held within.

If you've never seen a shell brought up from the depths of the sea, you'll be in for a shock. The shells caught live are beautiful with incredibly sharp spines. The clams are even sharper as their flutes are intact. Razor coral is sharp enough to cut you, even after drying out and even years later. The shells we see on the beach have been rolled in the surf and softened by the sea. I got my parents shell collection after they both passed away. They have brought back incredible memories of living in the Philippines and snorkeling for hours on end while my parents dove below. 

The Venus comb murex is known by its scientific name Murex pecten. They are large predatory snails that eat other mollusks. They grow 4-6 inches in length. The one I have is about 5 inches. It is the one I photographed and painted here. The spines are though to protect the shell from predators while they are hunting. The shell shape is considered to be elongated with a pronounced siphonal canal. It is found in the Indo-Pacific region and can be found from coral reefs to sandy bottoms. They occupy water depths between 0-1115 feet! They like tropical waters as the warm stable temperatures aid in their survival. Bottom dwelling using camouflage to hide among the rocks and corals.

It does face threats from overharvesting and habitat loss. My parents got theirs in the 60's. They were considered to represent wealth and status. They may serve as trade items or gifts. They are used in crafting sometimes, but the delicate spines break easily. 

I pray you've had a great day. Today was much better for me in the studio. I was able to paint and cut canvas for Chris to stretch on the bars he made for me. I am one happy artist! I painted this evening while dinner was cooking, and Chris stretched the frames and then we had dinner, cleaned up and got ice cream. I then headed up to the studio to finish this painting depicted here.

Venus Comb Murex, Acrylic on canvas, 6 x 24inches                                                                                   Day 86 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2025