Distribution
Species of this family can be found worldwide, but the major part occurs in the Indo-Pacific Region. Most species live between the intertidal zone and offshore to a depth between 200 m to 500 m (exceptionally below 1,000 m).Shell description
The shells of triphorids are small (between 2 mm and 10 mm - exceptionally 50 mm) and extremely high- spired, with numerous narrow whorls which often have distinctive sculpture. The majority of species in this family areTaxonomy
Facts about their taxonomy are rather scant, complicated by the high diversity and the intra- and inter-specific variability of the species. Most triphorid collections available in Museums of Natural History are still undescribed. The following subfamilies were recognized in the taxonomy of Bouchet & Rocroi of 2005: * Iniforinae Kosuge, 1966 * Metaxiinae Marshall, 1977 * Triphorinae Gray, 1847 Gründel (1975), stated that the correct family name is Triforidae Jousseaume, 1884 and not Triphoridae, but this is only true when the genera ''Triforis'' and ''Triphora'' are placed in the same family (Kosuge, 1976). Marshall (1980) however stated that the two genera need to be placed in two different families: the Triforidae and the Triphoridae.Genera
Genera within the family Triphoridae include: * '' Aclophora'' Laseron, 1958 * '' Aclophoropsis'' Marshall, 1983 * '' Bouchetriphora'' Marshall, 1983 * '' Cautor'' Finlay, 1927 * '' Cautotriphora'' Laws, 1940 * '' Cheirodonta'' Marshall, 1983 * '' Coriophora'' Laseron, 1958 * '' Cosmotriphora'' Olsson and Harbison, 1953 * '' Costatophora'' B. A. Marshall, 1994 * '' Differoforis'' Kosuge, 2008 * '' Euthymella'' Thiele, 1929 * '' Eutriphora'' Cotton & Godfrey, 1931 * '' Hedleytriphora'' Marshall, 1983 * '' Hypotriphora'' Cotton & Godfrey, 1931 * '' Inella'' Bayle, 1879 * '' Iniforis'' Jousseaume, 1884 * '' Isotriphora'' Cotton & Godfrey, 1931 * '' Latitriphora'' Marshall, 1983 * '' Liniphora'' Laseron, 1958 * '' Litharium'' Dall, 1924 * '' Magnosinister'' Laseron, 1954 * '' Marshallora'' Bouchet, 1985 * '' Mastonia'' Hinds, 1843 * '' Mastoniaeforis'' Jousseaume, 1884 * '' Metaxia'' Monterosato, 1884 * '' Monophorus'' Grillo, 1877 * '' Nanaphora'' Laseron, 1958 * '' Nototriphora'' Marshall, 1983 * '' Obesula'' Jousseaume, 1897 * '' Opimaphora'' Laseron, 1958 * '' Pogonodon'' Bouchet, 1997 * '' Sagenotriphora'' B.A. Marshall, 1983 * '' Seilarex'' Iredale, 1924 * '' Similiphora'' Bouchet, 1985 * '' Strobiligera'' Dall, 1924 * '' Subulophora'' Laseron, 1958 * '' Sychar'' Hinds, 1843 * '' Talophora'' Gründel, 1975 * '' Teretriphora'' Finlay, 1927 * '' Triphora'' Blainville, 1828Blainville (1828). ''Dict. Sci. Nat.'' 55: 344. * '' Viriola'' Jousseaume, 1884 * '' Viriolopsis'' Marshall, 1983 ; Genera brought into synonymy : * ''Biforina'' Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1884 : synonym of '' Monophorus'' Grillo, 1877 * ''Brucetriphora'' Beu, 2004: synonym of '' Costatophora'' B. A. Marshall, 1994 * ''Distophora'' Laseron, 1958:synonym of '' Cautor'' Finlay, 1927 * ''Epiforis'' Laseron, 1958:synonym of '' Mastoniaeforis'' Jousseaume, 1884 * ''Euthymia'' Jousseaume, 1884:synonym of '' Euthymella'' Thiele, 1929 * ''Ino'' Hinds, 1843:synonym of '' Inella'' Bayle, 1879 * ''Macrosinister'':synonym of '' Magnosinister'' Laseron, 1954 * ''Mastoniaeformis'' ic: synonym of '' Mastoniaeforis'' Jousseaume, 1884 * ''Mesophora'' Laseron, 1958: synonym of '' Coriophora'' Laseron, 1958 * ''Notosinister'' Finlay, 1926: synonym of '' Monophorus'' Grillo, 1877 * ''Orbitophora'' Laseron, 1958:synonym of '' Viriola'' Jousseaume, 1884 * ''Risbecia'' Kosuge, 1966:synonym of '' Differoforis'' Kosuge, 2008 * ''Sinistroseila'' W. R. B. Oliver, 1915: synonym of '' Viriola'' Jousseaume, 1884 * ''Solosinister'' Laseron, 1954:synonym of '' Viriola'' Jousseaume, 1884 * ''Tetraphora'' Laseron, 1958:synonym of '' Brucetriphora'' Beu, 2004 * ''Torresophora'' Laseron, 1958: synonym of '' Euthymella'' Thiele, 1929 * ''Triforis'' Deshayes, 1834:synonym of '' Triphora'' Blainville, 1828 * ''Triphoris'':synonym of '' Triphora'' Blainville, 1828References
* Fernandes M..R., Pimenta A.D. & Leal J.H., 2013. ''Taxonomic review of Triphorinae (Gastropoda: Triphoridae) from the Vitoria-Trindade Seamount Chain, southeastern Brazil.'' The Nautilus 127(1): 1-18External links