Ergalataxinae is a taxonomic subfamily of small to medium-sized predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks within the family Muricidae, the rock snails. In this subfamily, the aragonitic shell has 0–2 varices.
Genera The subfamily Ergalataxinae contains the following genera:
Azumamorula Emerson, 1968 (uncertain, may be a subgenus of Morula) Bedevina Habe, 1946 Claremontiella Houart, Zuccon & Puillandre, 2019 Cronia H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 Cytharomorula Kuroda, 1953 Daphnellopsis Schepman, 1913 Drupella Thiele, 1925 Ergalatax Iredale, 1931 †Janssenia Landau, Harzhauser, İslamoğlu & Silva, 2013 Lataxiena Jousseaume, 1883 Lauta Houart, Zuccon & Puillandre, 2019 Lindapterys Petuch, 1987 Maculotriton Dall, 1904 Morula Schumacher, 1817 Murichorda Houart, Zuccon & Puillandre, 2019 Muricodrupa Iredale, 1918 Oppomorus Iredale, 1937 Orania Pallary, 1900 Pascula Dall, 1908 Phrygiomurex Dall, 1904 Spinidrupa Habe & Kosuge, 1966 Tenguella Arakawa, 1965 Trachypollia Woodring, 1928 Usilla H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 Uttleya Marwick, 1934
Genera brought into synonymy
Cumella Jousseaume, 1898: synonym of Lataxiena Jousseaume, 1883 Habromorula Houart, 1995: synonym of Morula (Habromorula) Houart, 1995 Morulina Dall, 1923: synonym of Morula Schumacher, 1817 Roquesia Petuch, 2013: synonym of Colubraria Schumacher, 1817
Genera that have been treated as subgenera Azumamorula as Morula (Azumamorula) Oppomorus as Morula (Oppomorus), re-raised to genus in 2013. Usilla as Cronia (Usilla)
The classification into this subfamily is doubtful for the genera Daphnellopsis Schepman, 1913; Lindapterys Petuch, 1987 Maculotriton Dall, 1904; and Uttleya Marwick, 1934
Taxonomy
The subfamily Ergalataxinae originally contained just four species: Bedevina birileffi, Ergalatax contracta, E. tokugawai, and Cytharomorula vexillum. Later, genera Morula, Spinidrupa, Cronia, and Drupella were transferred from the Rapaninae (also called Thaidinae). New species have been described, and genera split, leading to a subfamily of approximately 150 species in 20+ genera.
Molecular phylogeny Gene-sequence analysis of four genes (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, and three ribosomal RNA) from 52 Ergalataxine species showed three major clades, with four suprageneric sub-clades in the last: Clade A: Tenguella, Muricodrupa, Claremontiella Clade B: Morula (), Murichorda Clade C: Phrygiomurex, and: Clade W: Lataxiena, Usilla, some Orania Clade X: Drupella; Cronia, Maculotriton, Ergalatax Clade Y: Oppomorus; Spinidrupa, Bedevina Clade Z: Cytharomorula, some Orania, Pascula, Lauta
Genetic material from Azumamorula, Daphnellopsis, Lindapterys, and Uttleya was not included. Genus names above reflect later changes, such as Lauta parva for "Morula" parva, Claremontiella nodulosa for "Morula" nodulosa, and Murichorda for "Muricodrupa" fiscella and "Morula" rumphiusi.
Cronia, Maculotriton, and Ergalatax may prove to be a single species, in which case the name Cronia would have precedence. If Ergalatax is subsumed into Cronia, this would impact the name of the Ergalataxinae. Most Spinidrupa grouped with Bedevina (which has priority), but the type species S. euracantha was more basal to clade Y (only 12S rRNA sequence was available for the latter). Orania is polyphyletic, but its type species was not included.
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