Pediculariinae is a

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoologi ...

of small to large predatory or parasitic

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 ...

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 ...

mollusc 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 esti ...

s in the family Ovulidae and the superfamily Cypraeoidea, the cowries and the cowry allies. As of 2009, it comprises 48 described species of which 20 are regarded as valid by most scientists.

Taxonomy

Simone (2004)Simone L. R. L. (2004). "Morphology and Phylogeny of the Cypraeoidea (Mollusca, Caenogastropoda)". ''Papel Virtual Editoria'' (Rio de Janeiro): 185 pp. placed some genera in the family Pediculariidae which were previously in the family Ovulidae. Comparison of the shell,

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 ...

and morphology suggested a closer phylogenetic relationship to the Pediculariidae than to the

Lamellariidae Lamellariinae is a subfamily of small slug-like sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs belonging to the family Velutinidae, in the order Littorinimorpha.MolluscaBase eds. (2022). MolluscaBase. Lamellariinae d'Orbigny, 1841. Accessed through: Wor ...

, the

Eratoidae Eratoidae is a family of predatory sea snails, marine gastropods included in the superfamily Cypraeoidea .MolluscaBase (2018). Eratoidae Gill, 1871. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=t ...

/ Triviidae, or the Ovulidae. However, both the validity of the family Pediculariidae, and its proper position within the superfamily Cypraeoidea, remain controversial. As of 2019, the World Register of Marine Species considers it a subfamily of the family Ovulidae.

2005 taxonomy

According to the taxonomy of Bouchet & Rocroi (2005) the subfamily Pediculariinae was included within the family Ovulidae.

2007 taxonomy

Fehse (2007)Fehse D. (2007). "Contributions to the knowledge of the Ovulidae. XVI. The higher systematics". ''

Spixiana ''Spixiana'' is a biannual peer-reviewed scientific journal published by Verlag Dr. Friedrich Pfeil on behalf of the Bavarian State Collection of Zoology, covering research in zoology. ''Spixiana'' publishes original works in the fields of taxonomy ...

'' 30(1): 121-125
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. raised the subfamily Pediculariinae to the level of family as Pediculariidae, based on morphological research on the

e, the shell, the soft part morphology and molecular phylogeny research on the

16S ribosomal RNA 16 S ribosomal RNA (or 16 S rRNA) is the RNA component of the 30S subunit of a prokaryotic ribosome (SSU rRNA). It binds to the Shine-Dalgarno sequence and provides most of the SSU structure. The genes coding for it are referred to as 16S rRNA ...

gene.

Genera

The subfamily Pediculariinae contains the following tribes and genera: *tribe Cypraediini Schilder, 1927 **† ''

Cypraedia ''Cypraedia'' is an extinct genus of gastropods. See also * List of marine gastropod genera in the fossil record References * J. L. M. Defrance. 1826. Conchyliologie et Malacologie. Dictionnaire des Sciences Naturelles 10, pages 1–36 ...

'' Swainson, 1840 **† '' Eucypraedia'' Schilder, 1939 **''

Jenneria ''Jenneria'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Ovulidae, one of the families of cowry allies. Species Species within the genus ''Jenneria'' includde: * † '' Jenneria nodulosa'' Dolin & Lozouet, 2004 *''Jenneri ...

'' Jousseaume, 1884 **''

Pseudocypraea ''Pseudocypraea'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the 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 ...

'' Schilder, 1925 *tribe Pediculariini Gray, 1853 **† ''

Cypraeopsis ''Cypraeopsis'' is an extinct genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by ma ...

'' Schilder, 1936 **''

Lunovula ''Lunovula'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Pediculariinae of the family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (l ...

'' Rosenberg, 1990 **''

Pedicularia ''Pedicularia'' is a genus of small predatory or ectoparasitic sea snails, cowry-like marine gastropod molluscs in the family Ovulidae, the cowry allies. In '' Peducularia sicula'', the protoconch protrudes. Dolin L. & Ledon D. (2002). "Nou ...

'' Swainson, 1840 **''

Pedicypraedia ''Pedicypraedia'' is a genus of sea snails, marine (ocean), marine gastropod mollusks in the family (biology), family Ovulidae, one of the families of cowry allies. Species Species within the genus ''Pedicypraedia'' include: *''Pedicypraedia atl ...

'' Lorenz, 2009 *not assigned to a tribe **† '' Cypropterina'' de Gregorio, 1880 **† '' Lozouetina'' Dolin & Dockery, 2018 **† '' Olianatrivia'' Dolin, Biosca-Munts & Parcerisa, 2013 **† '' Transovula'' de Gregorio, 1880

Description

The species in this subfamily differ in a radical way from other species in the Ovulidae by the morphology of the first and second marginal teeth in their

. While these are symmetrical (and even palmaceous) in the Ovulidae, they are asymmetrical, as can be seen in ''

Pseudocypraea adamsonii ''Pseudocypraea adamsonii'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Ovulidae, one of the families of cowry allies. The epithet An epithet (, ), also byname, is a descriptive term (word or phrase) known for accomp ...

'' Sowerby, 1832 (formed like a swatter) or in ''

Jenneria pustulata ''Jenneria pustulata'', common name the Jenner's cowry or pustulated cowry, is a species of small sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family (biology), family Ovulidae, one of the families of cowry allies. Description The shells of this ...

'' and ''

Pedicularia sicula ''Pedicularia sicula'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Pediculariidae, one of the families of cowry allies. Description Distribution This species occurs in the East Atlantic, the Azores, Cape Verde, the ...

'' (formed like a whip).

Feeding habits

These sea snails feed on stony corals ('' Scleractinia'') and hydrozoans.Dolin L. (1997) "''Jenneria'' (''Projenneria'') ''eniwetokensis'' subgen. nov., sp. nov.: a western Pacific new occurrence for the genus". ''Cossmanniana'' 4(1-2): 20-24.