Coralliophilinae


Coralliophilinae is a taxonomic group, a subfamily of about 200–250 sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks commonly known as the coral snails or coral shells. This is a subfamily within the very large family Muricidae, the murex or rock snails.
According to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda (Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005), this group is considered to be a subfamily, the Coralliophilinae, of the family Muricidae. Prior to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda (Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005), the Coralliophilinae was recognized as a distinct family the Coralliophilidae. The subfamily Coralliophilinae is monophyletic, 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 deep water coral banks in the Mediterranean, from the Florida Keys to Brazil, the Indo-Pacific Region, the southwest Pacific, the Austral Islands. Such a dispersal of the subfamily can be attributed to oceanic currents and planktotrophic larval development.
These snails are specialist feeders, feeding exclusively on anthozoans by boring into them. A few live between soft corals and anemones and use their long and extensible proboscis to ingest the soft tissue. Some feed on sea fans.

Genera

Genera within the subfamily Coralliophilinae include:Babelomurex Coen, 1922Coralliophila H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853Emozamia Iredale, 1929
;Genera brought into synonymy :Aradasia Settepassi, 1970 = synonym of Coralliophila H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853Aradomurex Coen, 1947 = synonym of Coralliophila H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853Coralliobia H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 = synonym of Coralliophila H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853Echinolatiaxis Kosuge, 1979 = synonym of Babelomurex Coen, 1922Fusomurex Coen, 1922 = synonym of Coralliophila H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853Laevilatiaxis Kosuge, 1979 = synonym of Babelomurex Coen, 1922Lamellatiaxis Habe & Kosuge, 1970 = synonym of Babelomurex Coen, 1922Langfordia Dall, 1924 = synonym of Babelomurex Coen, 1922Latimurex : synonym of Latiromurex Coen, 1922Latiromurex Coen, 1922 = synonym of Coralliophila H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853Lepadomurex Coen, 1922 = synonym of Coralliophila H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853Magilopsis G.B. Sowerby III, 1919 = synonym of Leptoconchus Rüppell, 1834Pseudomurex Monterosato, 1872 = synonym of Coralliophila H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853Quoyula Iredale, 1912 = synonym of Coralliophila H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853Rapella Swainson, 1840 = synonym of Rapa Röding, 1798Reliquiaecava Massin, 1987 = synonym of Coralliophila H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853Rhombothais Woolacott, 1954 = synonym of Coralliophila H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853Tarantellaxis Habe, 1970 = synonym of Babelomurex Coen, 1922Tolema 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 is usually very helpful as a taxonomic character.