Drilliidae


The Drilliidae are a taxonomic family of small predatory sea snails with high-spired shells. They are classified as marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Conoidea.
This family has no subfamilies. It consists of about 30 genera and approximately 500 recent species.

Description

The shell is claviform with a tall spire, or squatly conical to biconical. In many species, the siphonal canal is truncated. The aperture is U-shaped with a parietal callus pad.
The sculpture of the shell shows prominent axial ribs with a polished surface. Most species have a dorsal varix, except in the genera Cymatosyrinx, Elaeocyma and Splendrillia. The protoconch can be smooth or very carinate. The ovate operculum has a terminal nucleus.
The radula of the species in this family have characteristically five teeth in each row with a vestigial central tooth, comb-like lateral teeth and a pair of flat-pointed, slender marginal teeth.
The foregut structure of the anterior alimentary system has the least derived foregut anatomy of all the families in the superfamily Conoidea.

Distribution

This family has wide distribution, ranging from Iceland to the Antarctic Ocean, found at intertidal to abyssal depths. This is reflected in the variability in larval shells and the size of the shell and the characteristics of the protoconch and the teleoconch.

Taxonomic history

The genera in this family were originally separated from the subfamily Clavitulinae and classified by H.& A. Adams under subfamily Turritinae, because their operculum has a terminal instead of a central nucleus. In 1942, the species with a U-shaped sinus and a parietal callus pad were brought by Powell in the new subfamily Clavinae. In 1966, Morrison proposed the subfamily Drillinae for the species with a stenoglossan radula with comb-like lateral teeth. Finally, in 1993, Taylor et al. proposed the promotion of Drillinae from subfamily to the family level Drilliidae.

Taxonomy

Genera in the family Drilliidae include:Acinodrillia Kilburn, 1988Agladrillia Woodring, 1928Bellaspira Conrad, 1868Calliclava McLean, 1971Cerodrillia Bartsch & Rehder, 1939Clathrodrillia Dall, 1918Clavus Montfort, 1810Conopleura Hinds, 1844 Crassopleura Monterosato, 1884Cruziturricula Marks, 1951 Cymatosyrinx Dall, 1889Decoradrillia Fallon, 2016 Douglassia Bartsch, 1934Drillia Gray, 1838Elaeocyma Dall, 1918Eumetadrillia Woodring, 1928 Fenimorea Bartsch, 1934Fusiturricula Woodring, 1928 Globidrillia Woodring, 1928Hauturua Powell, 1942 Imaclava Bartsch, 1944Iredalea Oliver, 1915Kylix Dall, 1919Leptadrillia Woodring, 1928Lissodrillia Bartsch & Rehder, 1943Neodrillia Bartsch, 1943Orrmaesia Kilburn, 1988Paracuneus Laseron, 1954Plagiostropha Melvill, 1927
;Genera brought into synonymyBrephodrillia Pilsbry & Lowe, 1932: synonym of IredaleaClavicantha Swainson, 1840: synonym of Clavus Montfort, 1810Eldridgea Bartsch, 1934: synonym of Clavus Montfort, 1810Fusisyrinx Bartsch, 1934: synonym of Fusiturricula Woodring, 1928Tylotia Melvill, 1917: synonym of Clavus Montfort, 1810Tylotiella Habe, 1958: synonym of Clavus Montfort, 1810
;Genera moved to other familiesAustroclavus Brachytoma moved to the family PseudomelatomidaeSediliopsis Petuch, 1988: moved to the family Pseudomelatomidae