Yes, carnivorous. Snails come in all kinds — you have plant-eaters, meat-eaters, the omnivorous variety that sups on both, and detritivores ones that feast on decay like animal waste and fungus (yuck!), according to the Natural History Museum. The Murex snail, which preferred tropical seas, liked their protein from bivalves, creatures with a hinged tail, and enjoyed mollusks, clams, oysters, and scallops. What was most important about them to the Phoenicians and other Mediterranean societies was a special gland that could create a distinct purple (via Nova Southeastern University).

The dye produced by the Phoenicians was much sought after because its rich color rarely faded. But obtaining it from the snail became a tiresome and difficult process. To gather it meant that the snails underwent a fermenting process that stunk. Not just a little either — making the dye required setting up a processing center outside of town, away from people (via “The History of Phoenicia” by Josette Elayi). 

All that work needed compensation (plus the Murex’s gland was located right next to the rectum — not a fun extraction) and purchasing the dye was expensive. So much so that this Tyrian purple (see above), named after the city that meticulously produced it, became the favorite shade of the noble class, such as the kings, emperors, priests, and magistrates (via the BBC). Per Middle East Eye, the dye did require 120 pounds of snails to create a gram of powder — but the effort was worth it.