Architectonicidae, common name the staircase shells or sundials, are a family of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the informal group Lower Heterobranchia (= Allogastropoda) of the clade Heterobranchia.
The extinct families † Amphitomariidae Bandel, 1994 and † Cassianaxidae Bandel, 1996 belong to the same superfamily.
Genera Genera within the family Architectonicidae include:Bieler R. & Petit R. E. (2005). "Catalogue of Recent and fossil taxa of the family Architectonicidae Gray, 1850 (Mollusca: Gastropoda)". Zootaxa 1101: 1–119. PDF.
Adelphotectonica Bieler, 1987 † Ammotectonica Harzhauser & Landau, 2023 Architectonica Röding, 1798 – type genus Basisulcata Melone & Taviani, 1985 †Calodisculus Rehder, 1935 †Climacopoma Fischer, 1885 †Dinaxis Dall in Aldrich, 1895 †Discotectonica Marwick, 1931 †Disculus Deshayes, 1863 †Eosolarium Chavan, 1947 †Ewekorolaxis Adegoke, 1977 †Granosolarium Sacco, 1892 Heliacus d'Orbigny, 1842 †Intitectonica Frassinetti & Covacevich, 1984 † Margaritella Meek & Hayden, 1860 †Nigerialaxis Adegoke, 1977 †Nipteraxis Cossmann, 1916 †Nodosolarium Sacco, 1892 as † Solarium (Nodosolarium) Sacco, 1892 (uncertain > unassessed) Philippia J. E. Gray, 1847 †Platylaxis Adegoke, 1977 Pseudomalaxis P. Fischer, 1885 †Pseudotorinia Sacco, 1892 Psilaxis Woodring, 1928 † Punjabia Eames, 1952 †Rinaldoconchus Bandel, 1988 † Simplexollata Harzhauser & Landau, 2023 Solatisonax Iredale, 1931 Spirolaxis di Monterosato, 1913 †Stellaxis Dall, 1892 †Trimalaxis Garvie, 1996 †Wangaloa Finlay, 1927
Synonyms Acutitectonica Habe, 1961: synonym of Discotectonica Marwick, 1931 Aguayodiscus Jaume & Borro, 1946: synonym of Spirolaxis Monterosato, 1913 Astronacus Woodring, 1959: synonym of Heliacus (Torinista) Iredale, 1936 Awarua Mestayer, 1930:Mestayer (1930). Trans. New Zealand Inst. 61: 145. synonym of Pseudotorinia Sacco, 1892 (junior subjective synonym) Claraxis Iredale, 1936: synonym of Granosolarium Sacco, 1892 Discosolis Dall, 1892: synonym of Pseudomalaxis P. Fischer, 1885 Grandeliacus Iredale, 1957: synonym of Heliacus Iredale, 1957 (alternate representation) †Granoheliacus Melone & Taviani, 1985; synonym of Solatisonax Iredale, 1931 Gyriscus Tiberi, 1867: synonym of Heliacus (Gyriscus) Tiberi, 1867 represented as Heliacus A. d'Orbigny, 1842 Mangonuia Mestayer, 1930: synonym of Pseudomalaxis P. Fischer, 1885 †Patulaxis Dall, 1892: synonym of † Climacopoma Fischer, 1885 Paurodiscus Rehder, 1935: synonym of Spirolaxis Monterosato, 1913 Pyrgoheliacus Bieler, 1987: synonym of Heliacus A. d'Orbigny, 1842 Redivivus Melone & Taviani, 1985: synonym of Solatisonax Iredale, 1931 Russetia Garrard, 1961: synonym of Discotectonica Marwick, 1931 †Solariaxis Dall, 1892: synonym of Granosolarium Sacco, 1892 Solarium Lamarck, 1799: synonym of Architectonica Röding, 1798 Teretropoma Rochebrune, 1881: synonym of Heliacus (Teretropoma) Rochebrune, 1881 (alternate representation) represented as Heliacus A. d'Orbigny, 1842 Torinia Gray, 1842: synonym of Heliacus d'Orbigny, 1842 Torinista Iredale, 1936: synonym of Heliacus (Torinista) Iredale, 1936 (alternate representation) represented as Heliacus A. d'Orbigny, 1842 (misspelling - incorrect subsequent spelling, Error for Torinista) Tornista [sic] : synonym of Torinia J. E. Gray, 1842: synonym of Heliacus A. d'Orbigny, 1842 (Error for Torinia Gray, 1842)
References
Bieler R. (1993). Architectonicidae of the Indo-Pacific (Mollusca, Gastropoda). Abhandlungen des Naturwissenschaftlichen Vereins in Hamburg (NF) 30: 1–376 Bouchet P. & Rocroi J.-P. (2005) Classification and nomenclator of gastropod families. Malacologia 47(1–2): 1–397 Marco Taviani, Revisione delle Architectonicidae del Mediterraneo; Milano, 1984
Further reading
Powell A. W. B., New Zealand Mollusca, William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979