Pediculariinae


Pediculariinae is a subfamily of small to large predatory or parasitic sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs 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 placed some genera in the family Pediculariidae which were previously in the family Ovulidae. Comparison of the shell, radula and morphology suggested a closer phylogenetic relationship to the Pediculariidae than to the Lamellariidae, the Eratoidae/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 the subfamily Pediculariinae was included within the family Ovulidae.

2007 taxonomy

Fehse raised the subfamily Pediculariinae to the level of family as Pediculariidae, based on morphological research on the radulae, the shell, the soft part morphology and molecular phylogeny research on the 16S ribosomal RNA gene.

Genera

The subfamily Pediculariinae contains the following tribes and genera:
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 radula. While these are symmetrical in the Ovulidae, they are asymmetrical, as can be seen in Pseudocypraea adamsonii Sowerby, 1832 or in Jenneria pustulata and Pedicularia sicula.

Feeding habits

These sea snails feed on stony corals and hydrozoans.