Coralliophilinae is a

taxonomic 280px, Generalized scheme of taxonomy Taxonomy is a practice and science concerned with classification or categorization. Typically, there are two parts to it: the development of an underlying scheme of classes (a taxonomy) and the allocation ...

group, a

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end botanical subfamily names with "-oideae", and zo ...

of about 200–250

sea snail Sea snails are slow-moving marine (ocean), marine gastropod Mollusca, molluscs, usually with visible external shells, such as whelk or abalone. They share the Taxonomic classification, taxonomic class Gastropoda with slugs, which are distinguishe ...

s, marine

gastropod Gastropods (), commonly known as slugs and snails, belong to a large Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, freshwater, and fro ...

mollusk Mollusca is a phylum of protostomic invertebrate animals, whose members are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 76,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized, making it the second-largest animal phylum after Arthropoda. The ...

s commonly known as the

coral Corals are colonial marine invertebrates within the subphylum Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact Colony (biology), colonies of many identical individual polyp (zoology), polyps. Coral species include the important Coral ...

snails or coral shells. This is a subfamily within the very large family

Muricidae Muricidae is a large and varied taxonomic family of small to large predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks, commonly known as murex snails or rock snails. With over 1,700 living species, the Muricidae represent almost 10% of the Neog ...

, the murex or rock snails. According to the

taxonomy of the Gastropoda (Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005) The taxonomy of the Gastropoda as it was revised in 2005 by Philippe Bouchet and Jean-Pierre Rocroi is a system for the scientific classification of gastropod mollusks (Gastropods are a taxonomic class of animals which consists of snails and sl ...

, this group is considered to be a subfamily, the Coralliophilinae, of the family

.Bouchet P. & Rocroi J.-P. (Ed.); Frýda J., Hausdorf B., Ponder W., Valdés Á. & Warén A. 2005. ''Classification and nomenclator of gastropod families''. Malacologia: International Journal of Malacology, 47(1-2). ConchBooks: Hackenheim, Germany. . . 397 pp. http://www.vliz.be/Vmdcdata/imis2/ref.php?refid=78278 Prior to the

, the ''Coralliophilinae'' was recognized as a distinct family the Coralliophilidae. The subfamily Coralliophilinae is

monophyletic In biological cladistics for the classification of organisms, monophyly is the condition of a taxonomic grouping being a clade – that is, a grouping of organisms which meets these criteria: # the grouping contains its own most recent co ...

, as confirmed by genetic research with molecular markers.

Distribution and habitat

The coral snails are coral dwellers that occur worldwide in temperate and tropical seas. They can be found in very diverse places such as the mid-Atlantic seamounts, the

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; ) or Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean and the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, Autonomous Community of Spain. They are located in the northwest of Africa, with the closest point to the cont ...

, the

deep water coral The habitat of deep-water corals, also known as cold-water corals, extends to deeper, darker parts of the oceans than tropical corals, ranging from near the surface to the abyss, beyond where water temperatures may be as cold as . Deep-water co ...

banks in the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

, from the

Florida Keys The Florida Keys are a coral island, coral cay archipelago off the southern coast of Florida, forming the southernmost part of the continental United States. They begin at the southeastern coast of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami a ...

to Brazil, the

Indo-Pacific The Indo-Pacific is a vast biogeographic region of Earth. In a narrow sense, sometimes known as the Indo-West Pacific or Indo-Pacific Asia, it comprises the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the ...

Region, the southwest Pacific, the

Austral Islands The Austral Islands ( officially ''Archipel des Australes;'' ) are the southernmost group of islands in French Polynesia, an overseas country of France, overseas country of the France, French Republic in the Oceania, South Pacific. Geographicall ...

(South Pacific). Such a dispersal of the subfamily can be attributed to oceanic currents and planktotrophic larval development. These snails are specialist feeders, feeding exclusively on

anthozoa Anthozoa is one of the three subphyla of Cnidaria, along with Medusozoa and Endocnidozoa. It includes Sessility (motility), sessile marine invertebrates and invertebrates of brackish water, such as sea anemones, Scleractinia, stony corals, soft c ...

ns by boring into them. A few live between

soft coral Alcyonacea is the old scientific order name for the informal group known as "soft corals". It is now an unaccepted name for class Octocorallia. It became deprecated . The following text should be considered a historical, outdated way of treatin ...

s and

anemone ''Anemone'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. Plants of the genus are commonly called windflowers. They are native to the temperate and subtropical regions of all regions except Australia, New Zealand, and ...

s and use their long and extensible

proboscis A proboscis () is an elongated appendage from the head of an animal, either a vertebrate or an invertebrate. In invertebrates, the term usually refers to tubular arthropod mouthparts, mouthparts used for feeding and sucking. In vertebrates, a pr ...

to ingest the soft tissue. Some feed on

sea fan Alcyonacea is the old scientific order name for the informal group known as "soft corals". It is now an unaccepted name for class Octocorallia. It became deprecated . The following text should be considered a historical, outdated way of treat ...

Genera

Genera within the subfamily Coralliophilinae include: * ''

Babelomurex ''Babelomurex'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails. Species Species within the genus ''Babelomurex'' include: * '' Babelomurex armatus'' Sowerby III, 1912 * '' Babelom ...

'' Coen, 1922 * ''

Coralliophila ''Coralliophila'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Coralliophilinae, the coral snails, within the family Muricidae, the murex snails and rock snails. The genus ''Coralliophila'' is most probably polyphyletic ...

'' H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 * '' Emozamia'' Iredale, 1929 *''

Hirtomurex ''Hirtomurex'' is a genus of sea snails, marine (ocean), marine gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Coralliophilinae, the coral snails, within the family (biology), family Muricidae, the murex snails and rock snails. Species Species within the ...

'' Coen, 1922 * '' Latiaxis'' Swainson, 1840 * ''

Leptoconchus ''Leptoconchus'' is a genus of medium-sized sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Muricidae, subfamily Coralliophilinae, the coral snails or coral shells.Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S. (2010). Leptoconchus Rüppell, 1834. Accessed through ...

'' Rüppell, 1834 * '' Liniaxis'' Laseron, 1955 * ''

Magilus ''Magilus'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails. This genus was brought by Michel (1988) into the separate family Magilidae together with '' Latiaxis'' Description Anima ...

'' Montfort, 1810 * ''

Mipus ''Mipus'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Coralliophilinae of the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails. Species Species within the genus ''Mipus'' include: * '' Mipus alis'' Oliverio, 2008 * ' ...

'' de Gregorio, 1885Gofas, S. (2010). ''Mipus'' de Gregorio, 1885. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) World Marine Mollusca database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.eu/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=205148 on 2010-08-01 * '' Rapa'' Röding, 1798 * '' Rhizochilus'' Steenstrup, 1850 ;Genera brought into synonymy : * ''Aradasia'' Settepassi, 1970 = synonym of ''Coralliophila'' H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 * ''Aradomurex'' Coen, 1947 = synonym of ''Coralliophila'' H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 * ''Coralliobia'' H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 = synonym of ''Coralliophila'' H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 * ''Echinolatiaxis'' Kosuge, 1979 = synonym of ''Babelomurex'' Coen, 1922 * ''Fusomurex'' Coen, 1922 = synonym of ''Coralliophila'' H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 * ''Laevilatiaxis'' Kosuge, 1979 = synonym of ''Babelomurex'' Coen, 1922 * ''Lamellatiaxis'' Habe & Kosuge, 1970 = synonym of ''Babelomurex'' Coen, 1922 * ''Langfordia'' Dall, 1924 = synonym of ''Babelomurex'' Coen, 1922 * ''Latimurex'' : synonym of ''Latiromurex'' Coen, 1922 * ''Latiromurex'' Coen, 1922 = synonym of ''Coralliophila'' H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 * ''Lepadomurex'' Coen, 1922 = synonym of ''Coralliophila'' H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 * ''Magilopsis'' G.B. Sowerby III, 1919 = synonym of ''Leptoconchus'' Rüppell, 1834 * '' Pseudomurex'' Monterosato, 1872 = synonym of ''Coralliophila'' H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 * ''Quoyula'' Iredale, 1912 = synonym of ''Coralliophila'' H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 * ''Rapella'' Swainson, 1840 = synonym of ''Rapa'' Röding, 1798 * ''Reliquiaecava'' Massin, 1987 = synonym of ''Coralliophila'' H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 * ''Rhombothais'' Woolacott, 1954 = synonym of ''Coralliophila'' H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 * ''Tarantellaxis'' Habe, 1970 = synonym of ''Babelomurex'' Coen, 1922 * ''Tolema'' Iredale, 1929 = synonym of ''Babelomurex'' Coen, 1922 Within this subfamily, the systematics at species level is problematic as many adult species show broad intraspecific morphologic variability that also depends on the substrate they live. The morphology of the

protoconch A protoconch (meaning first or earliest or original shell) is an embryonic or larval shell which occurs in some classes of molluscs, e.g., the initial chamber of an ammonite or the larval shell of a gastropod. In older texts it is also called " ...

is usually very helpful as a taxonomic character.

References

* Vaught, K.C. (1989). ''A classification of the living Mollusca''. American Malacologists: Melbourne, FL (USA). . XII, 195 pp {{Taxonbar, from=Q18175283 Muricidae Taxa named by Jean-Charles Chenu