Marginellidae


Marginellidae, or the margin shells, are a taxonomic family of small, often colorful, sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the clade Neogastropoda.

Taxonomy

The higher classification of the family Marginellidae has long been in a state of confusion. Many popular works still treat all members of this family under the single genus Marginella, basing them primarily on superficial similarities of the shell.
The confusion over the classification stems from the fact that the earlier classifications were based rather crudely on shell characters. Although many good differential shell characters do exist within this group, those characters were generally misinterpreted or not recognized as significant. Such information as did exist on the radulae and the external anatomy of the living animals was widely scattered in the scientific literature, and internal anatomical descriptions were not available until fairly recently.
In 2019 a new molecular phylogeny of marginelliform gastropods has been established by Fedosov A.E., Caballer Gutierrez M., Buge B., Sorokin P.V., Puillandre N., Bouchet P.

Shell description

The shell of Marginellidae is usually small, but varies in different species from minute to medium-sized.
The external color of the shell can be white, cream, yellow, orange, red, or brown, and can be uniformly colored, or patterned in various ways. The protoconch is paucispiral. The lip of the shell is thickened, and can be smooth or denticulate. An external varix may be present or absent, a siphonal notch may be present or absent. The columella may have 2-6 plications. The operculum is absent in this family.

Genera

Janaginella T. Cossignani & Lorenz, 2021
Subfamily Incertae sedis

Synonyms

  • Granulininae G. A. Coovert & H. K. Coovert, 1995: synonym of Granulinidae G. A. Coovert & H. K. Coovert, 1995
  • Marginelloninae Coan, 1965: synonym of Marginellonidae Coan, 1965 Carinaginella Laseron, 1957: synonym of Alaginella Laseron, 1957Cassoginella Laseron, 1957 †: synonym of Alaginella Laseron, 1957Deviginella Laseron, 1957: synonym of Mesoginella Laseron, 1957Haloginella Laseron, 1957: synonym of Serrata Jousseaume, 1875Neptoginella Laseron, 1957: synonym of Hydroginella Laseron, 1957Pillarginella Gabriel, 1962: synonym of Hydroginella Laseron, 1957Plicaginella Laseron, 1957: synonym of Austroginella Laseron, 1957Serrataginella G. A. Coovert & H. K. Coovert, 1995: synonym of Serrata Jousseaume, 1875Sinuginella Laseron, 1957: synonym of Mesoginella Laseron, 1957Spiroginella Laseron, 1957: synonym of Mesoginella Laseron, 1957Triginella Laseron, 1957: synonym of Alaginella Laseron, 1957Cucumis "Klein": synonym of Marginella Lamarck, 1799 Faba P. Fischer, 1883: synonym of Glabella Swainson, 1840 Longinella Laseron, 1957: synonym of Dentimargo Cossmann, 1899 Marginellarius Duméril, 1805: synonym of Marginella Lamarck, 1799Marginellus Montfort, 1810: synonym of Marginella Lamarck, 1799 Porcellana Gray, 1847: synonym of Marginella Lamarck, 1799 Pseudomarginella Maltzan, 1880: synonym of Marginella Lamarck, 1799Volvarinella Habe, 1951: synonym of Dentimargo Cossmann, 1899Egouana: synonym of Egouena Jousseaume, 1875: synonym of Prunum Herrmannsen, 1852 Egouena Jousseaume, 1875: synonym of Prunum Herrmannsen, 1852Gibberulina Monterosato, 1884: synonym of Bullata Jousseaume, 1875Leptegouana Woodring, 1928: synonym of Prunum Herrmannsen, 1852Porcellanella Conrad, 1863 †: synonym of Prunum Herrmannsen, 1852 Volutella Swainson, 1831: synonym of Bullata Jousseaume, 1875