Turbinellinae

Turbinellinae
A live individual of Turbinella laevigata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Neogastropoda
Superfamily:	Turbinelloidea
Family:	Turbinellidae
Subfamily:	Turbinellinae Swainson, 1835

Turbinellinae were a subfamily of large deepwater sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Turbinellidae. ^[1]

This subfamily belonged to the family Turbinellidae within the clade Neogastropoda (according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005). But in 2025 has been upgraded to the rank of family. ^[2]

This was a small subfamily with only three genera and some 10 extant species described.

Distribution

Species of this subfamily can be found in the Indian Ocean and in the Caribbean. The species Syrinx aruanus (Linnaeus, 1758), the largest living gastropod, is distributed along the coasts of Western and Northern Australia to Papua New Guinea.

Description

Species in this family have thick-shelled, fusiform shells with conical-shaped whorls. The large body whorl ends in a long siphonal canal. The columella contains three to four plaits.

Genera and species

Genera in the subfamily Turbinellinae include :

• Cryptofusus Beu, 2011
• Syrinx Röding, 1798
• Turbinella Lamarck, 1799

Genus brought into synonymy

• Buccinella Perry, 1811 : synonym of Turbinella Lamarck, 1799

References

1. Bouchet, P. (2011). Turbinellinae. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=23135 on 2011-04-27
2. MolluscaBase eds. (2026). MolluscaBase. Turbinellinae Swainson, 1835. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=23135 on 2026-01-12 Taxonomic edit history

• Vaught, K.C. (1989). A classification of the living Mollusca. American Malacologists: Melbourne, FL (USA). ISBN   0-915826-22-4. XII, 195 pp.