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.Bouchet P. & Rocroi J.-P. (Ed.); Frýda J., Hausdorf B., Ponder W., Valdés Á. & Warén A. 2005. Classification and nomenclator of gastropod families. Malacologia: International Journal of Malacology, 47(1-2). ConchBooks: Hackenheim, Germany. . . 397 pp. https://www.vliz.be/Vmdcdata/imis2/ref.php?refid=78278 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 (South Pacific). Such a dispersal of the subfamily can be attributed to oceanic currents and planktotrophic larval development. Oliverio, Marco; Gofas, Serge, Coralliophiline diversity at mid-Atlantic seamounts (Neogastropoda, Muricidae, Coralliophilinae), Bulletin of Marine Science, Volume 79, Number 1, July 2006, pp. 205-230(26)
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:WoRMS : Coralliophilinae; accessed on 2 February 2011 Babelomurex Coen, 1922 Coralliophila H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 Emozamia Iredale, 1929 Hirtomurex Coen, 1922 Latiaxis Swainson, 1840 Leptoconchus Rüppell, 1834 Liniaxis Laseron, 1955 Magilus Montfort, 1810 Mipus de Gregorio, 1885Gofas, S. (2010). Mipus de Gregorio, 1885. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) World Marine Mollusca database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.eu/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=205148 on 2010-08-01 Rapa Röding, 1798 Rhizochilus Steenstrup, 1850 Genera brought into synonymy Aradasia Settepassi, 1970 = synonym of Coralliophila H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 Aradomurex Coen, 1947 = synonym of Coralliophila H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 Coralliobia H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 = synonym of Coralliophila H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 Echinolatiaxis Kosuge, 1979 = synonym of Babelomurex Coen, 1922 Fusomurex Coen, 1922 = synonym of Coralliophila H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 Laevilatiaxis Kosuge, 1979 = synonym of Babelomurex Coen, 1922 Lamellatiaxis Habe & Kosuge, 1970 = synonym of Babelomurex Coen, 1922 Langfordia Dall, 1924 = synonym of Babelomurex Coen, 1922 Latimurex : synonym of Latiromurex Coen, 1922 Latiromurex Coen, 1922 = synonym of Coralliophila H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 Lepadomurex Coen, 1922 = synonym of Coralliophila H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 Magilopsis G.B. Sowerby III, 1919 = synonym of Leptoconchus Rüppell, 1834 Pseudomurex Monterosato, 1872 = synonym of Coralliophila H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 Quoyula Iredale, 1912 = synonym of Coralliophila H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 Rapella Swainson, 1840 = synonym of Rapa Röding, 1798 Reliquiaecava Massin, 1987 = synonym of Coralliophila H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 Rhombothais Woolacott, 1954 = synonym of Coralliophila H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 Tarantellaxis Habe, 1970 = synonym of Babelomurex Coen, 1922 Tolema 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.
References
Vaught, K.C. (1989). A classification of the living Mollusca. American Malacologists: Melbourne, FL (USA). . XII, 195 pp