Conilithidae is a proposed

taxonomic Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification. A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

of small to medium-sized

sea snail Sea snail is a common name for slow-moving marine gastropod molluscs, usually with visible external shells, such as whelk or abalone. They share the taxonomic class Gastropoda with slugs, which are distinguished from snails primarily by the ...

s, specifically

cone snail A cone is a three-dimensional geometric shape that tapers smoothly from a flat base (frequently, though not necessarily, circular) to a point called the apex or vertex. A cone is formed by a set of line segments, half-lines, or lines con ...

marine Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military * ...

gastropod The gastropods (), commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, from freshwater, and from land. T ...

mollusk Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is e ...

s in the superfamily

Conoidea Conoidea is a superfamily of predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks within the suborder Hypsogastropoda. This superfamily is a very large group of marine mollusks, estimated at about 340 recent valid genera and subgenera, and considered ...

, the cone snails and their allies.Tucker J.K. & Tenorio M.J. (2009) Systematic classification of Recent and fossil conoidean gastropods. Hackenheim: Conchbooks. 296 pp., at p. 133 Bouchet P., Kantor Yu.I., Sysoev A. & Puillandre N. (2011) A new operational classification of the Conoidea. Journal of Molluscan Studies 77: 273-308.
/ref>Bouchet P. & Rocroi J.-P. (Ed.) (2005). "Classification and nomenclator of gastropod families". ''

Malacologia ''Malacologia'' is a peer-reviewed scientific journal in the field of malacology, the study of mollusks. The journal publishes articles in the fields of molluscan systematics, ecology, population ecology, genetics, molecular genetics, evolution, an ...

'' 47(1-2). . 397 pp. In 2009, John K. Tucker and Manuel J. Tenorio proposed elevating the subfamily Conilithinae (previously placed in the family

Conidae Conidae, with the current common name of "cone snails", is a taxonomic family (previously subfamily) of predatory sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the superfamily Conoidea. The 2014 classification of the superfamily Conoidea, groups onl ...

) to the rank of family. This was based on a cladistic analysis of anatomical characters, including the radular tooth, the

morphology Morphology, from the Greek and meaning "study of shape", may refer to: Disciplines *Morphology (archaeology), study of the shapes or forms of artifacts *Morphology (astronomy), study of the shape of astronomical objects such as nebulae, galaxies, ...

(i.e. shell characters), as well as an analysis of prior

molecular phylogeny Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...

studies, all of which were used to construct phylogenetic trees. In their phylogeny, Tucker and Tenorio noted the close relationship of the various species within the genera in the ''Conilithidae''; this also corresponded to the results of prior molecular studies by Puillandre ''et al.''. Tucker and Tenorio's proposed classification system for the cone shells and their allies (and the other clades of Conoidean gastropods) is set forth at

Tucker & Tenorio cone snail taxonomy 2009 The taxonomy of the cone snails and their allies as proposed by John K. Tucker and Manuel J. Tenorio in 2009 was a biological classification system for a large group of predatory sea snails. This system was an attempt to make taxonomic sense of th ...

. Like other species in the superfamily Conoidea, these snails are

predatory Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...

and

venomous Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...

, able to inject neurotoxins into their prey with their

radula The radula (, ; plural radulae or radulas) is an anatomical structure used by molluscs for feeding, sometimes compared to a tongue. It is a minutely toothed, chitinous ribbon, which is typically used for scraping or cutting food before the food ...

. The species in this family are capable of "stinging" humans, therefore live ones should be handled carefully or not at all.

Genera

Proposed genera within the ''Conilithidae'' include: *'' Bathyconus'' Tucker & Tenorio, 2009 *''

Californiconus ''Californiconus'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks. The experts at WoRMS place this group of species in the family Conidae, the cone snails, but some other experts placed previously the genus in a proposed family, the Conili ...

'' Tucker & Tenorio, 2009 *''

Conasprella ''Conasprella'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.Bouchet, P. (2015). Conasprella. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia ...

'' Thiele, 1929 *''

Dalliconus ''Dalliconus'' is a subgenus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the genus ''Conasprella'', family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.Bouchet, P. (2015). Dalliconus Tucker & Tenorio, 2009. Accessed through: World Register o ...

'' Tucker & Tenorio, 2009 *''

Fusiconus ''Fusiconus'' is a subgenus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the genus ''Conasprella'', family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.Bouchet, P. (2015). Fusiconus da Motta, 1991. Accessed through: World Register of Marine ...

'' da Motta, 1991 *''

Globiconus ''Globiconus'' is a subgenus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the genus ''Conasprella'', family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies. In the new classification of the family Conidae by Puillandre N., Duda T.F., Meyer C., ...

'' Tucker & Tenorio, 2009 *''

Jaspidiconus ''Jaspidiconus'' is a subgenus of sea snails, marine (ocean), marine gastropod mollusks in the genus ''Conasprella'', family (biology), family Conidae, the Conus, cone snails and their allies.Bouchet, P. (2015). Jaspidiconus Petuch, 2003. Acces ...

'' Petuch, 2004 *''

Kohniconus ''Kohniconus'' is a subgenus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the genus ''Conasprella'', family Conilithidae, the cone snails and their allies.Bouchet, P. (2015). Kohniconus Tucker & Tenorio, 2009. Accessed through: World Register o ...

'' Tucker & Tenorio, 2009 *''

Lilliconus ''Lilliconus'' is subgenus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the genus ''Conasprella'', family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.Bouchet, P. (2015). Conasprella (Lilliconus) G. Raybaudi Massilia, 1994. Accessed through: World ...

'' Raybaudi Massilia, 1994 *''

Parviconus ''Parviconus'' is a subgenus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the genus ''Conasprella'', family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.Bouchet, P. (2015). Conasprella (Parviconus) Cotton & Godfrey, 1932. Accessed through: World Reg ...

'' Cotton & Godfrey, 1932 *'' Perplexiconus'' Tucker & Tenorio, 2009 *''

Profundiconus ''Profundiconus'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.Bouchet, P. (2011). ''Profundiconus'' Kuroda, 1956. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.ma ...

'' Kuroda, 1956 *'' Pseudoconorbis'' Tucker & Tenorio, 2009 *''

Quasiconus ''Quasiconus'' is a subgenus of sea snails, marine (ocean), marine gastropod mollusks in the genus ''Conus'', family (biology), family Conidae, the Conus, cone snails and their allies.Bouchet, P. (2011). ''Quasiconus'' Tucker & Tenorio, 2009. Ac ...

'' Tucker & Tenorio, 2009 *'' Viminiconus'' Tucker & Tenorio, 2009 *''

Ximeniconus ''Ximeniconus'' is subgenus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the genus ''Conasprella'', family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.Bouchet, P. (2011). ''Ximeniconus'' Emerson & Old, 1962. Accessed through: World Register ...

'' Emerson & Old, 1962 *''

Yeddoconus ''Yeddoconus'' is subgenus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the genus ''Conasprella'', family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.Bouchet, P. (2011). ''Yeddoconus'' Tucker & Tenorio, 2009. Accessed through: World Register of Ma ...

'' Tucker & Tenorio, 2009

Significance of "alternative representation"

Prior to 2009, all

cone A cone is a three-dimensional geometric shape that tapers smoothly from a flat base (frequently, though not necessarily, circular) to a point called the apex or vertex. A cone is formed by a set of line segments, half-lines, or lines con ...

species were placed within the family

and were placed in one genus, ''

Conus ''Conus'' is a genus of predatory sea snails, or cone snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Conidae.Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S. (2015). Conus Linnaeus, 1758. In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at ...

''. In 2009 however, J.K. Tucker and M.J. Tenorio proposed a classification system for the over 600 recognized

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

that were in the family. Their classification proposed 3 distinct families and 82 genera for the living species of

cone snails A cone is a three-dimensional geometric shape that tapers smoothly from a flat base (frequently, though not necessarily, circular) to a point called the apex or vertex. A cone is formed by a set of line segments, half-lines, or lines co ...

, including the family ''Conilithidae''. This classification was based upon

shell Shell may refer to: Architecture and design * Shell (structure), a thin structure ** Concrete shell, a thin shell of concrete, usually with no interior columns or exterior buttresses ** Thin-shell structure Science Biology * Seashell, a hard ou ...

r differences,

anatomy Anatomy () is the branch of biology concerned with the study of the structure of organisms and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. It is an old science, having its ...

physiology Physiology (; ) is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a sub-discipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out the chemical ...

cladistics Cladistics (; ) is an approach to biological classification in which organisms are categorized in groups (" clades") based on hypotheses of most recent common ancestry. The evidence for hypothesized relationships is typically shared derived char ...

, with comparisons to molecular (DNA) studies. Recent published accounts of the family ''Conilithidae'' and its genera include J.K. Tucker & M.J. Tenorio (2009), Tucker & Stahlschmidt (2010), Tucker, Tenorio & Stahlschmidt (2011), Bouchet et al. (2011), Puillandre et al. (2011), Tucker & Tenorio (2011), Petuch & Sargent (2011), and Petuch & Drolshage (2011). Testing in order to try to understand the

of the

was initially begun by Christopher Meyer and Alan Kohn, and is continuing, particularly with the advent of nuclear DNA testing in addition to mDNA testing. However, as of December 2011, some experts still prefer to use the traditional classification, where all species are placed in ''

'' within the single family

: for example, according to the current November 2011 version of the

World Register of Marine Species The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) is a taxonomic database that aims to provide an authoritative and comprehensive list of names of marine organisms. Content The content of the registry is edited and maintained by scientific specialist ...

, all species within the family Conidae are in the genus ''

''. The binomial names of species in the 82 cone snail genera listed in Tucker & Tenorio 2009 are recognized by the

as "alternative representations." Debate within the scientific community regarding this issue continues, and additional

studies are being carried out in an attempt to clarify the issue.B. Vallejo, Jr. (2005), ''Inferring the mode of speciation in the Indo-West Pacific Conus (Gastropoda: Conidae)'', Journal of Biogeography 32:1429-1439.

References

External links

Gastropods.com: ''Conilithidae'' setting forth the genera and species recognized therein.
{{Taxonbar, from=Q5161077

Genera

Significance of "alternative representation"

References

Further reading

External links