Conorbidae | |
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Drawing of a shell of Benthofascis atractoides | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Gastropoda |
Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
Order: | Neogastropoda |
Superfamily: | Conoidea |
Family: | Conorbidae de Gregorio, 1880 |
Type genus | |
Conorbis Swainson, 184 | |
Genera | |
See text |
Conorbidae is a monophyletic family of small to medium-sized sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Conoidea. [1] [2] [3] [4] Despite the name of the family, which might seem to suggest otherwise, this group of gastropods are not cone snails, but are instead what used to be loosely called "turrids".
In 2009, John K. Tucker and Manuel J. Tenorio elevated the subfamily Conorbiinae (at that point it was placed in the family Conidae) to the rank of family. This was based on a cladistical analysis of anatomical characters including the radular tooth, morphology (i.e. shell characters), as well as an analysis of prior molecular phylogeny studies, all of which was used to construct phylogenetic trees. [1] Tucker and Tenorio noted a close relationship to genera such as Bathytoma in their phylogeny, which corresponded to prior molecular studies by Puillandre et al.. [5] Shortly thereafter, in 2011, Bouchet, Kantor et al. confirmed the elevation of the subfamily Conorbiinae to the rank of family based upon a detailed molecular phylogeny of a dataset of molecular sequences of three gene (DNA) fragments conducted across the superfamily Conoidea. [2] Tucker and Tenorio’s proposed classification system for the cone shells and their allies (and the other clades of Conoidean gastropods ) is shown in Tucker & Tenorio cone snail taxonomy 2009.
Like other species in the superfamily Conoidea, these snails are predatory and venomous, able to inject neurotoxins into their prey with their radula.
The shell can have different forms: from squatly conical to elongated or even biconical. There are no nodules on the shell, but cords may be present. The interior of the shell, including the columellar region, is substantially remodeled (meaning that the external sculpture is reabsorbed when the body whorl grows over it). Two of the three genera in this family have an asymmetrical anal notch. [1] The spire in the fossil genus Conorbis is much elevated. Its outer lip is sinuous, forming an oblique posterior sinus. [6]
The living species of this family possess several primitive radular characteristics; they do not have the folds which are present in all other closely related families. The radula usually has an anterior fold, without a waist, base, C-fold, terminating cusps, serrations or accessory process. The basal spur is either parallel with the tooth base or directed towards the apex of the tooth. [1]
Genera within the family Conorbidae include:
Conidae, with the current common name of "cone snails", is a taxonomic family of predatory sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the superfamily Conoidea.
Conoidea is a superfamily of predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks within the suborder Hypsogastropoda. This superfamily is a very large group of marine mollusks, estimated at about 340 recent valid genera and subgenera, and considered by one authority to contain 4,000 named living species.
Conorbiinae was a subfamily of small to quite large sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Conidae.
Jaspidiconus is a subgenus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the genus Conasprella, family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.
Artemidiconus is a monospecific genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Conorbidae.
Benthofascis is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Conorbidae.
Conus (Austroconus) is a taxon of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Conidae. Although formerly described as a distinct subgenus, it is currently considered as an alternative representation of the cone snail genus, Conus.
Californiconus is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks. The experts at WoRMS place this group of species in the family Conidae, the cone snails, but some other experts placed previously the genus in a proposed family, the Conilithidae. This is a monotypic genus.
Conasprella is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies. This genus was formerly treated by some experts as a member of the family Conilithidae and as an "alternative representation" of this group of species.
Conasprelloides is a subgenus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.
Dalliconus is a subgenus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the genus Conasprella, family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.
The taxonomy of the cone snails and their allies as proposed by John K. Tucker and Manuel J. Tenorio in 2009 was a biological classification system for a large group of predatory sea snails. This system was an attempt to make taxonomic sense of the large and diverse group which contains the family Conidae, the cone snails. The authors proposed extensive changes to the family Conidae in contrast to the way the group was treated in the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005. Bouchet and Rocroi included in the family Conidae several other groups of toxoglossan snails which had previously been placed in the Turridae.
Endemoconus is subgenus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the genus Conasprella, family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.
Conilithidae is a proposed taxonomic family of small to medium-sized sea snails, specifically cone snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Conoidea, the cone snails and their allies.
Fusiconus is a subgenus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the genus Conasprella, family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.
Globiconus is a subgenus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the genus Conasprella, family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.
Kohniconus is a subgenus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the genus Conasprella, family Conilithidae, the cone snails and their allies.
Lilliconus is subgenus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the genus Conasprella, family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.
Parviconus is a subgenus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the genus Conasprella, family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies. This genus currently is still treated by some experts as an "alternative representation" of this group of species.
Perplexiconus has become a synonym of Conasprella (Ximeniconus) Emerson & Old, 1962, a subgenus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.