Cerithiopsidae are a family

Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...

 of very small and minute sea snail

Sea snail

Sea snail is a common name for those snails that normally live in saltwater, marine gastropod molluscs....

s, marine

Marine (ocean)

Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology...

 gastropod molluscs or micromollusk

Micromollusk

A micromollusk is a descriptive term for a shelled mollusk which is extremely small, even at full adult size. The word is usually, but not exclusively, applied to marine mollusks, although in addition, numerous species of land snails and freshwater mollusks also reach adult size at very small...

s in the informal group

Taxonomy of the Gastropoda (Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005)

The taxonomy of the Gastropoda as it was revised by Philippe Bouchet and Jean-Pierre Rocroi is currently the most up-to-date overall system for classifying gastropod mollusks...

 Ptenoglossa

Ptenoglossa

The Ptenoglossa is an informal taxonomic group of sea snails.It was considered paraphyletic or polyphyletic by Ponder and Lindberg in their classification of the molluscs.-Taxonomy:*Superfamily Epitonioidea**Family Epitoniidae**Family Janthinidae...

. Gastropods in this family are known as cerithiopsids.

These tiny snails have shells that are very high-spired

Spire (mollusc)

A spire is a descriptive term for part of the coiled shell of mollusks. The word is a convenient aid in describing shells, but it does not refer to a very precise part of shell anatomy: the spire consists of all of the whorls except for the body whorl...

 and consist of multiple whorls

Whorl (mollusc)

A whorl is a single, complete 360° revolution or turn in the spiral growth of a mollusc shell. A spiral configuration of the shell is found in of numerous gastropods, but it is also found in shelled cephalopods including Nautilus, Spirula and the large extinct subclass of cephalopods known as the...

.

Subfamilies

The following subfamilies have been recognized in the taxonomy of Bouchet & Rocroi (2005):

• Aliptinae Marshall, 1978
• Cerithiopsinae H. Adams
  Henry Adams (zoologist)
  Henry Adams was an English naturalist and conchologist.With his brother Arthur Adams, also a noted conchologist, he wrote three volumes, 1858.-References:...
  
   & A. Adams
  Arthur Adams (zoologist)
  Arthur Adams was an English physician and naturalist.Adams was assistant surgeon on board H.M.S. "Actaeon" in company with HMS Samarang in the British Navy during the survey of the Malay Archipelago, the Japan Sea, Korea and China,from 1843 to 1846. He edited the Zoology of the voyage of H.M.S....
  
  , 1853
• Seilinae Golikov & Starobogatov, 1975

Genera

Genera within the family Cerithiopsidae include:

• Alipta
  Alipta
  Alipta is a genus of very small sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Cerithiopsidae.-Species:Species in the genus Alipta include:* Alipta crenistria -References:...
  
  Finlay
  Harold John Finlay
  Harold John Finlay was a New Zealand palaeontologist and conchologist. He was born in Comilla, India , on 22 March 1901....
  
  , 1927
• Belonimorphis Jay & Drivas, 2002
• Cerithiopsilla Thiele, 1912
• Cerithiopsina Bartsch, 1911
• Cerithiopsis
  Cerithiopsis
  Cerithiopsis is a genus of very small sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks or micromollusks in the family Cerithiopsidae.-Distribution:...
  
  Forbes & Hanley, 1850
• Cubalaskeya
  Cubalaskeya
  Cubalaskeya is a genus of minute sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Cerithiopsidae. This genus was described by Rolan and Fernandez-Garcés, in 2008.-Species:Species in the genus Cubalaskeya include:...
  
  Rolan & Fernandez-Garcés, 2008
• Dizoniopsis
  Dizoniopsis
  Dizoniopsis is a genus of minute sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Cerithiopsidae. This genus was described by Sacco in 1895.-Species:Species in the genus Dizoniopsis include:...
  
  Sacco, 1895
• Ektonos Bouchet & Warén, 1993
• Horologica
  Horologica
  Horologica is a genus of minute sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Cerithiopsidae. This genus was described by Laseron in 1956.-Species:Species in the genus Horologica include:* Horologica anisocorda Jay & Drivas, 2002...
  
  Laseron
  Charles Francis Laseron
  Charles Francis Laseron , was an American-born Australian naturalist and malacologist.Charles Laseron was born on 6 December 1887 at Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States of America, to English parents the Rev...
  
  , 1956
• Joculator
  Joculator
  Joculator is a genus of minute sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Cerithiopsidae. This genus was described by Hedley in 1909.-Species:Species in the genus Joculator include:* Joculator brucei...
  
  Hedley, 1909
• Koilofera Jay & Drivas, 2002
• Krachia
  Krachia
  Krachia is a genus of minte sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Cerithiopsidae.-Species:Species in the genus Krachia include:* Krachia cossmanni * Krachia cylindrata...
  
  Baluk, 1975
• Krachiopsis Smriglio & Mariottini, 1999
• Laskeya Iredale, 1918
• Mendax Finlay, 1926
• Nanopsis Cecalupo & Robba, 2010
• Onchodia Dall, 1924
• Prolixodens Marshall, 1978
• Retilaskeya
  Retilaskeya
  Retilaskeya is a genus of minte sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Cerithiopsidae. It was described by Marshall, in 1978.-Species:Species in the genus Retilaskeya include:* Retilaskeya bicolor...
  
  Marshall, 1978
• Seila
  Seila
  Seila is a genus of minute sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs or micromolluscs in the family Cerithiopsidae.-Species:According to the World Register of Marine Species , the following species with valid names are included within the genus Seila:* Seila adamsii * Seila angolensis Rolán &...
  
  A. Adams
  Arthur Adams (zoologist)
  Arthur Adams was an English physician and naturalist.Adams was assistant surgeon on board H.M.S. "Actaeon" in company with HMS Samarang in the British Navy during the survey of the Malay Archipelago, the Japan Sea, Korea and China,from 1843 to 1846. He edited the Zoology of the voyage of H.M.S....
  
  , 1861
• Seilopsis Tomlin, 1931
• Socienna Finlay
  Harold John Finlay
  Harold John Finlay was a New Zealand palaeontologist and conchologist. He was born in Comilla, India , on 22 March 1901....
  
  , 1927
• Speculator Warén & Bouchet, 2001
• Synthopsis Laseron, 1956

subfamily ?

• Cerithiopsida Bartsch, 1911
• Cerithiopsidella Bartsch, 1911
• Laeocochlis Dunker & Metzger, 1875
• Specula Finlay, 1927
• Sundaya Oliver, 1915
• Zaclys Finlay
  Harold John Finlay
  Harold John Finlay was a New Zealand palaeontologist and conchologist. He was born in Comilla, India , on 22 March 1901....
  
  , 1927

Genera brought into synonymy :

• Altispecula Powell, 1930 : synonym of Eumetula Thiele, 1912