Muricinae

Muricinae
An apertural view of a shell of Poirieria zelandica, anterior end towards the bottom of the page
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Neogastropoda
Superfamily:	Muricoidea
Family:	Muricidae
Subfamily:	Muricinae Rafinesque, 1815
Genera
See text

Muricinae is a taxonomic subfamily of predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks within the large family Muricidae, the murex snails and rock snails.

The Muricinae represent approximately 780 valid names of fossil (378) and recent (400) species (Merle et al. 2011). This subfamily contains the true Murex, and many other closely related genera.

Systematics

The subdivision of the Muricidae into subfamilies is mainly based on the work of Bouchet & Rocroi (2005), who combined morphological and molecular data in order to define the Muricinae. However, based on latest knowledge this subfamily might represent a polyphyletic group. Traditional the Muricinae are subdivided into five informal groups, which contain 47 genera and subgenera (Merle et al. 2011):

1. Muricinae (s.s.) group

• Flexopteron Shuto, 1969
• Murex (s.s) Linnaeus, 1758
• M. (Promurex) Ponder & Vokes, 1988
• Haustellum Schumacher, 1817
• Vokesimurex Petuch, 1994
• Siratus Jousseaume, 1880
• Bolinus Pusch, 1837
• Hexaplex (s.s.) Perry, 1811
• H. (Trunculariopsis) Cossmann, 1921
• Muricanthus Swainson, 1840
• Chicoreus (s.s.) Montfort, 1810
• C. (Chicopinnatus) Houart, 1992
• C. (Rhizophorimurex) Oyama, 1950
• C. (Triplex) Perry, 1810
• Chicomurex Arakawa, 1964
• Phyllonotus Swainson, 1833
• Naquetia Jousseaume, 1880

2. Pterynotus-Textilomurex group

• Pterynotus (s.s) Swainson, 1833
• P. (Pterymarchia) Houart, 1995
• Textiliomurex Merle, 2011

3. Basal muricids group

• Timbellus de Gregorio, 1885
• Pterochelus Jousseaume, 1880
• Purpurellus Jousseaume, 1880
• Ponderia Houart, 1986
• Prototyphis Ponder, 1972
• Poirieria (s.s) Jousseaume, 1880
• P. (Actinotrophon) Dall, 1902
• P. (Caelobassus) Stilwell & Zinsmeister, 1992
• P. (Pagodula) Monterosato, 1884
• Paziella (s.s) Jousseaume, 1880
• P. (Bouchetia) Houart & Héros, 2008
• Crassimurex (s.s) Merle, 1990
• C. (Eopaziella) Gürs, 2001
• Harmatia Noszky, 1940
• Gamurex Merle, 2011
• Falsimuricopsis Merle, 2011

4. Calotrophon-Attiliosa group

• Calotrophon (s.s) Hertlein & Strong, 1951
• C. (Acantholabia) Olsson & Harbison, 1953
• C. (Panamurex) Woodring, 1959

The subfamilial place of the last groups should be regarded as provisional.

References

• Bouchet, P. & Rocroi, J.-P. (2005): Part 2. Working classification of the Gastropoda. Malacologia, 47: 239–283, Ann Arbor. ISSN 0076-2997.
• Merle, D., Garrigues, B. & Pointier, J.-P. (2011): Fossil and Recent Muricidae of the World, Part Muricinae. 648 pp., 182 colour plates, ConchBooks, Hackenheim. ISBN 978-3-939767-32-9.