Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Spiralia
Cladus: Lophotrochozoa
Phylum: Mollusca
Classis: Gastropoda
Subclassis: Caenogastropoda
Ordo: Neogastropoda
Superfamilia: Muricoidea
Familia: Muricidae
Subfamilia: Muricopsinae
Genera (14): Acanthotrophon – Bizetiella – Favartia – Homalocantha – Maxwellia – Murexsul – Muricopsis – Pazinotus – Pradoxa – Pygmaepterys – Rolandiella – Subpterynotus – Vitularia – Xastilia
Name
Muricopsinae Radwin & D'Attilio, 1971
References
Primary references
Radwin, G.E. & D'Attilio, A. 1971. Muricacean supraspecific taxonomy based on the shell and the radula. The Echo 4: 55–67. BHL. Reference page. [original description: p. 64]
Links
Muricopsinae in the World Register of Marine Species
Digital Murex[1]
Muricopsinae is a taxonomic subfamily of predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks within the large family Muricidae, the murex snails and rock snails.[1]
A study, released in September 2010, showed that the subfamily Muricopsinae is polyphyletic[2]
Characteristics
This subfamily has been delineated based on the characteristics of the operculum and the radula.
The shell is wide in the middle and tapers at both ends, making it fusiform to biconic. The size of the shell varies in length between 5 mm and 85 mm. Its color is white or brown, covered with subdued shades of brown, orange, red or purple markings. The aperture is broadly oval to almost round and is of variable size. Contrary to the other Muricidae, the siphonal canal, the semi-tubular extension of the aperture, is of moderate length. Like the other murex shells, each convex whorl shows a variable number (four or more) of more or less prominent varices (a thickened axial ridge in the shell), which, in turn, show foliaceous or spinose projections.[3]
The operculum is the same as in the subfamily Muricinae. It is unguiculate, thickened at the margin and depressed and annulate in the middle.
The rachiglossan radula has in each row a three-dimensional rachidian tooth with a raised central cusp and two lateral teeth, as in the subfamily Ocenebrinae.
Distribution
The genera in this subfamily are distributed worldwide, mainly in tropical and subtropical waters, at depths between 0 and 300 m.
Genera
Acanthotrophon Hertlein & Strong, 1951
Bizetiella Radwin & D'Attilio, 1972
Eofavartia Merle, 2002
Favartia Jousseaume, 1880
Homalocantha Mörch, 1852
Maxwellia Baily, 1950
Murexsul Iredale, 1915
Muricopsis Bucquoy & Dautzenberg, 1882
Pazinotus E.H. Vokes, 1970
Pradoxa Fernandes & Rolan, 1993
Pygmaepterys E. H. Vokes, 1978
Rolandiella B.A. Marshall & Burch, 2000
Subpterynotus Olsson & Harbison, 1953
Vitularia Swainson, 1840
Xastilia Bouchet & Houart, 1994
Several genera that were recognized in the past have now become synonyms :
Minnimurex Woolacott, 1957 accepted as Murexiella Clench & Farfante, 1945
Murexiella Clench & Farfante, 1945 accepted as Favartia (Murexiella) Clench & Perez Farfante, 1945
Paradoxa Fernandes & Rolan, 1990 accepted as Pradoxa Fernandes & Rolan, 1993
Paradoxon Fernandes & Rolán, 1990 accepted as Pradoxa Fernandes & Rolan, 1993
Risomurex Olsson & McGinty, 1958 accepted as Muricopsis (Risomurex) Olsson & McGinty, 1958
Transtrafer Iredale, 1929 accepted as Vitularia Swainson, 1840
References
Houart, R. (2010). Muricopsinae. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) World Marine Mollusca database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=395163 on 2010-12-24
Barco, A.; M. Claremont; D.G. Reid; R. Houart; P. Bouchet; S.T. Williams; C. Cruaud; A. Couloux; M. Oliverio (September 2010). "A molecular phylogenetic framework for the Muricidae, a diverse family of carnivorous gastropods". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 56 (3): 1025–1039. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2010.03.008. PMID 20226866.
George E. Radwin and Anthony D'Attilio, Murex Shells of the World, Stanford University Press, 1976
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