The Melongenidae, the

crown conch ''Melongena'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Melongenidae, the crown conches and their allies.WoRMS (2010). Melongena Schumacher, 1817. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) World Marine Mollusca dat ...

s and their relatives, are a

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 large to very large

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 ...

s in the superfamily

Buccinoidea Buccinoidea is a taxonomic superfamily of very small to large predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks. This superfamily is in the clade Neogastropoda according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda (Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005). It had been plac ...

. MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Melongenidae Gill, 1871 (1854). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=160182 on 2021-02-27

Taxonomy

For a while prior to 2004, the genera ''

Busycon ''Busycon'' is a genus of very large edible sea snails in the subfamily Busyconinae. These snails are commonly known in the United States as ''whelks'' or ''Busycon whelks''. Less commonly they are loosely, and somewhat misleadingly, called "conc ...

'' and ''

Busycotypus ''Busycotypus'' is a genus of very large sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Busycotypinae . In the United States, these are commonly known as whelks.Bouchet, P. (2015). Busycotypus Wenz, 1943. In: MolluscaBase (2015). A ...

'' were placed in the Melongenidae. Then, in 2004, based on their

digestive system The human digestive system consists of the gastrointestinal tract plus the accessory organs of digestion (the tongue, salivary glands, pancreas, liver, and gallbladder). Digestion involves the breakdown of food into smaller and smaller compone ...

s and on

cladistic analysis 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 chara ...

by Kosyan & Kantor (2004),Kosyan A. R. & Kantor Yu. I. (2004). "Morphology, taxonomic status and relationships of Melongenidae (Gastropoda: Neogastropoda)". ''Ruthenica'' 14(1): 9-36
abstract and preview
/ref> these two genera were moved to the family

Busyconidae The Busyconidae are taxonomic family of large sea snails, often known as whelks. MolluscaBase eds. (2022). MolluscaBase. Busyconidae Wade, 1917 (1867). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia. ...

within the superfamily

. According to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi (2005), the Melongenidae consists of two subfamilies: * Subfamily Melongeninae Gill, 1871 (1854) - synonyms: Cassidulidae Gray, 1854 (inv.); Galeodidae Thiele, 1925 (inv.); Volemidae Winckworth, 1945; Heligmotomidae Adegoke, 1977 * Subfamily Echinofulgurinae Petuch, 1994

Genera

Genera in the family Melongenidae include: * ''

Brunneifusus ''Brunneifusus'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Melongenidae The Melongenidae, the crown conchs and their relatives, are a taxonomic family of large to very large marine gastropods in the superfamily Bucci ...

'' Dekkers, 2018 * ''

Hemifusus ''Hemifusus'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Melongenidae, the crown conches and their allies. Description The type description of genus ''Hemifusus'' by English malacologist William John Swainson Willi ...

'' Swainson, 1840 * ''

Lenifusus ''Lenifusus'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Melongenidae The Melongenidae, the crown conchs and their relatives, are a taxonomic family of large to very large marine gastropods in the superfamily Buccinoi ...

'' Dekkers, 2018 * ''

Melongena ''Melongena'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Melongenidae, the crown conches and their allies.WoRMS (2010). Melongena Schumacher, 1817. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) World Marine Mollusca dat ...

'' Schumacher, 1817 - crown conchs * ''

Pugilina ''Pugilina'' is a genus of large sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Melongenidae, the crown conches and their allies.Bouchet, P. (2015). Pugilina Schumacher, 1817. In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Mari ...

'' Schumacher, 1817 * '' Saginafusus'' Wenz, 1943 * † '' Sycostoma'' Cox, 1931 * ''

Taphon 200px, ''taphon'' The taphon ( th, ตะโพน, ) is a traditional drum of Thailand. It is barrel-shaped with two heads, and is played by the hands and fingers of both hands, much like the more popular congas. Originally called the Sa Pho ...

'' H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 * ''

Volegalea ''Volegalea'' is a genus of large sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Melongenidae, the crown conches and their allies.Bouchet, P.; Rosenberg, G. (2015). Volegalea Iredale, 1938. In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World R ...

'' Iredale, 1938 * ''

Volema ''Volema'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Melongenidae, the crown conches and their allies. Species Species within the genus ''Volema'' include: * '' Volema myristica'' Röding, 1798 * '' Volema paradisiaca'' R ...

'' Röding, 1798 ; Genera brought into synonymy: * ''Cassidulus'' Gray, 1854: synonym of ''Pugilina'' Schumacher, 1817 * ''Galeodes'' Röding, 1798 : synonym of ''Melongena'' Schumacher, 1817 * ''Semifusus'' Agassiz, 1846 synonym of ''Hemifusus'' Swainson, 1840 * ''Thalessa'' H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853: synonym of ''Volema'' Röding, 1798

References

{{Melongenidae-stub