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 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 ...

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 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, ...

suggested a closer phylogenetic relationship to the Pediculariidae than to the Lamellariidae, 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 Triviidae is a taxonomic family of small sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the superfamily Cypraeoidea of the order Littorinimorpha. MolluscaBase eds. (2020). MolluscaBase. Triviidae Troschel, 1863. Accessed through: World Register of Mari ...

, 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 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 ...

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

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 In biology, the word gene (from , ; "...Wilhelm Johannsen coined the word gene to describe the Mendelian units of heredity..." meaning ''generation'' or ''birth'' or ''gender'') can have several different meanings. The Mendelian gene is a ba ...

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'' 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'' (formed like a whip).

Feeding habits

These sea snails feed on stony corals (''

Scleractinia Scleractinia, also called stony corals or hard corals, are marine animals in the phylum Cnidaria that build themselves a hard skeleton. The individual animals are known as polyp (zoology), polyps and have a cylindrical body crowned by an oral di ...

'') 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.