Melongenidae, the crown conchs, busycon whelks and their relatives, are a taxonomic 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 large to very large 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...

 gastropods in the clade

Clade

A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...

 Neogastropoda

Neogastropoda

Neogastropoda is an unranked taxonomic clade of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks. For many years prior to 2005 Neogastropoda was an order.- Description :...

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Taxonomy

Genera Busycon

Busycon

Busycon is a genus of very large edible sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Buccinidae. These snails are commonly known in the United States as whelks or Busycon whelks....

and Busycotypus

Busycotypus

Busycotypus is a genus of very large sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Buccinidae. In the USA, these are commonly known as whelks.-Subgenera and species:Subgenera and species within the genus Busycotypus are as follows:...

were placed in Melongenidae. Based on digestive system

Digestive system of gastropods

The digestive system of gastropods has evolved to suit almost every kind of diet and feeding behavior. Gastropods as the largest taxonomic class of the mollusca are very diverse indeed: the group includes carnivores, herbivores, scavengers, filter feeders, and even parasites.In particular, the...

 and on cladistic analysis by Kosyan & Kantor (2004), these two genera within the subfamily Busyconinae have been moved to the family Buccinidae

Buccinidae

Buccinidae is a very large and diverse taxonomic family of large sea snails, often known as whelks or true whelks.True whelks are mostly marine gastropod mollusks in the clade Neogastropoda...

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According to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi (2005)

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...

 the family Melongenidae consists of two subfamilies:

• subfamily Melongeninae Gill, 1871 (1854) - synonyms: Cassidulidae Gray, 1854 (inv.); Galeodidae Thiele, 1925 (inv.); Volemidae Winckworth, 1945; Heligmotomidae Adegoke, 1977
• subfamily Echinofulgurinae Petuch, 1994

Genera

Genera in the family Melongenidae include:

• Fulguropsis
  Fulguropsis
  Fulguropsis is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Melongenidae, the crown conches and their allies.-Species:Species within the genus Fulguropsis include:* Fulguropsis feldmanni Petuch, 1991...
  
  Marks, 1950
• Hemifusus
  Hemifusus
  Hemifusus is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Melongenidae, the crown conches and their allies.- Description :The type description of genus Hemifusus by English malacologist William John Swainson reads as follows:...
  
  Swainson, 1840
• Melongena
  Melongena
  Melongena is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Melongenidae, the crown conches and their allies.-Species:Species within the genus Melongena include:* Melongena bicolor...
  
  Schumacher, 1817 - crown conchs
• Pugilina
  Pugilina
  Pugilina is a genus of large sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Melongenidae, the crown conches and their allies.-Species:Species within the genus Pugilina include:* Pugilina cochlidium* Pugilina colosseus...
  
  Schumacher, 1817
• Taphon H. Adams & A. Adams
• Volema
  Volema
  Volema is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Melongenidae, the crown conches and their allies.-Species:Species within the genus Volema include:* Volema myristica Röding, 1798* Volema paradisiaca Röding, 1798...
  
  Röding, 1798

Genera brought into synonymy :

• Galeodes
  Galeodes
  Galeodes is a genus of solifuges or sun spiders. The nearly 200 species in this genus are found in northern Africa, southeastern Europe and Asia. Like other solifuges, they are mainly nocturnal and found in arid habitats. The often have long hairy appendages and are not as stout bodied or dark and...
  
  Röding, 1798 : synonym of Melongena Schumacher, 1817
• Semifusus Agassiz, 1846 : synonym of Hemifusus Swainson, 1840
• Volegalea Iredale, 1938 : synonym of Pugilina Schumacher, 1817