Triphoridae are a family of very small sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the informal group Ptenoglossa in the clade Hypsogastropoda. Almost all the species in this family are micromollusks.

Shell description

The shells of triphorids are small and extremely high-spired, with numerous narrow whorls which often have distinctive sculpture. The majority of species in this family are left-handed or sinistral. (For an explanation of this term, see the section on chirality in the article gastropod shell.)

Taxonomy

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

• Iniforinae Kosuge, 1966
• Metaxiinae Marshall, 1977
• Triphorinae Gray, 1847

Genera within the family Triphoridae

• Aclophora
• Aclophoropsis
• Bifornia
• Bouchetriphora
• Cautor
• Cautor Finlay, 1927
• Cerithiella
• Cheirodonta
• Cosmotriphora Olsson and Harbison, 1953
• Euthymella
• Eutriphora
• Hedleytriphora
• Inella
• Iniforis Jousseaume, 1884
• Isotriphora
• Litharium
• Marshallora Bouchet, 1985
• Mastonia
• Metaxia di Monterosato, 1884
• Monophorus
• Nerita
• Notosinister
• Nototriphora
• Obesula
• Risbecia
• Seilarex
• Similiphora Bouchet, 1985
• Subulophora
• Teretriphora Finlay, 1927
• Tetraphora
• Torresophora
• Triforis
• Triphora de Blainville, 1828
• Triphoras
• Triphoris
• Tropidoturris
• Viriola
• Viriolopsis

References

• Powell A. W. B., New Zealand Mollusca, William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979 ISBN 0-00-216906-1
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