A synonym for the genus Syrinx: Megalatractus Murex aruanus Linnaeus, 1758 Megalatractus aruanus (Linnaeus, 1758) Murex gigas Born, 1780[3] Fusus proboscidiferus Lamarck, 1822[4] Cerithium brazieri Tryon, 1887[5] Syrinx aruanus, common name the Australian trumpet or false trumpet, is a species of extremely large sea snail measuring up to 75 cm long and weighing up to 18 kg.

The maximum known size of the shell has been widely reported as 91cm, however, this has been corrected in a number of publications including the article "Sizing ocean giants: patterns of intraspecific size variation in marine megafauna" where the authors reported the following: "Taylor & Glover (2003) reported that largest specimen was 91 cm in length and referenced a 1982 issue of Hawaiian Shell News (Issue 7, pg.

The shell is usually pale apricot in color, however in life it is covered by thick brown or grey periostracum.

[12] This protoconch is about 2.5 cm long and looks so unlike the adult shell that it was described by George Washington Tryon in 1887 as a different species.

[7] This species occurs in the northern half of Australia and adjacent areas, including eastern Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

(Abbott & Dance, 1982) This carnivorous species is specialized for feeding on polychaete worms in the genera Polyodontes (Acoetidae), Loimia (Terebellidae) and Diopatra (Onuphidae).

These worms live in tubes; Syrinx aruanus can reach them with its proboscis, which has a length of up to 250 mm.

[11] The Aboriginal Australian peoples who live on the Pennefather River in Queensland, use (or used) a half-moon shaped nose-pin known as an imina which is made from the shell of Syrinx aruanus.

After this, a portion of the shell which is near the suture and the keel on the body whorl is chipped out using a stone, (see image), and then is ground down with water.