(R.A. Philippi 1845) - Common name Black and white murex - Size range 75mm-200mm - Range: Sea of Cortez, West Mexico
 
Collected live by local panga boat hooka divers somewhere between Puerto Penasco and Desemboque, Mexico. 7-10 meters depth.  Tides range 7 meters / 24 feet in Puerto Penasco, so the divers usually go out during low tides to collect murex and other species for meat.
The snail was removed by the local Mexican panga boat fishermen for the meat, they collect these and throw them into the panga boats. 90% of the time causing some minor spine and siphon damage.  This shell is no exception.  But this is a huge murex, very little damage.  Operculum is included.  It's not  quite gem, but great for any collector of large muricidae.