Shell minute to small, whitish; « radula absent or obsolete; the operculum ovoid, paucispiral, with the apex anterior, a thread-like arcuate ridge on the proximal side, the inner margin notched in harmony with the plaits of the pillar when prominent […] The shell is turrited, with a plicate axis; the outer lip frequently internally lirate. In the larger forms the aperture is obscurely channelled in front; the larval shell is sinistral the adult dextral, the former frequently set at an angle to the adult axis, or more or less immersed in the adult apical whorls; it is usually helicoid and smooth. » – Dall & Bartsch: “Synopsis of the genera, subgenera and sections of the family Pyramidellidae”, Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington vol.XVII, Washington 1904, p.3.
Auristomia Monterosato, 1884:
« Close to the Auriculinae for the descending form of the whorls, but of a more solid substance and without spiral sculpture, nor umbilical fissure. Aperture proportionally wide, auricular. [Columellar] Fold barely visible. » – T. A. di Monterosato: Nomenclatura generica e specifica di alcune conchiglie mediterranee, Palermo 1884, p.95.
Brachystomia Monterosato, 1884:
« Mouth short, lip toothless. Shell small, smooth, rissoiform, turreted. A small columellar tooth. » – T. A. di Monterosato: op. cit. p.94.
Doliella Monterosato, 1880:
The genus is monotypic. Protoconch of type B. The shell is pupoid, with a teardrop-shaped aperture.
Euparthenia Thiele, 1929:
Shell small, turreted, heavily sculptured by radial and spiral grooves of, often, almost equal strength, giving their interspaces a nodulose appearance. Aperture rissoid, angulose adapicallly, round at the base, entire; columellar fold barely visible inside. No umbilicus. Protoconch of type B.
Folinella Dall & Bartsch, 1904:
Shell minute to small, clathrate, whitish; whorls rather flat separated from each other by a deep suture. « Spiral markings consisting of two tumid ridges, one at the periphery and one at the summit of the whorls; with many striations on the base. » – Dall & Bartsch: “Synopsis of the genera, subgenera and sections of the family Pyramidellidae”, Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington vol.XVII, Washington 1904, p.10. In fact, species with 3 spiral rows exist.
Jordaniella Chaster, 1898:
The genus comprises only two species, both from the eastern Atlantic. The shells are rather slender, with rounded whorls separated from each other by a deep suture, which is bordered anteriorly by a spiral bead that gives to this subsutural ara a keeled appearance. Columellar plate weak and hardly visible on front view. Protoconch of type B.
Liostomia Sars, 1878:
Shell minute, subcylindrical, usually smooth, and whitish; apex obtuse, sunken; columella devoid of teeth at the aperture.
Megastomia Monterosato, 1884:
Shell minute to small, conical, whitish, umbilicate, with a rounded base; aperture wide, provided by many labial teeth inside, and a sharp columellar tooth.
Noemiamea de Folin, 1886:
Shell minute, globose, translucent, white, spirally striated; axial sculpture weak, given only by the growth marks; lip thin; columellar tooth visible.
Odostomella Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1883:
Shell minute, pupoid, with a whitish background crossed by some brownish spiral banding; whorls moderately flat, with a marked suture; sculpture made of axial costae « rounded, big, adjacently arranged, protruding upon the suture. » – Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus: Les mollusques marins du Roussillon vol.I, fasc.IV, paris 1883, p.167. Protoconch of type C.
Odostomia Fleming, 1813:
Shell minute, conical, smooth, whitish, translucent; aperture devoid of labial teeth; columella with or without folds.
Ondina de Folin, 1870:
Shell minute, of an ovate-slender shape, whitish, translucent; the body whorl takes at least half of the total shell heigh; sculpture made of weak spirals, crossed by some irregular growth marks; protoconch intorted, of type C except in obliqua; aperture oblong or narrowed; no columellar folds.
Parthenina Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1883:
Shell minute, whitish, translucent, often slender, with sinuous axial costae crossed by weaker spirals that appear only in the anterior part of the teleoconch.
Pyrgulina Adams, 1863:
Shell minute, thin, turreted, with the whorls posteriorly angulated and strongly folded radially; thin spiral sculpture between the radial ribs; suture marked; aperture with two columellar folds, one of them being always visible.
Spiralina Chaster, 1892:
Shell minute, biconical, white, sculptured «with strong, straight, longitudinal costae abruptly terminated (or in some forms abruptly reduced in size to thread-like striae) at the periphery by the first of a series of spiral striae which encircle the base. » – G. W. Chaster: “A report upon the mollusca (excluding the Cephalopoda and Nudibranchiata) obtained by the Royal Irish Academy Cruises of 1885, 1886 and 1888”, Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy series 3, vol.V, Dublin 1898, p.20. The described genus is Spiralina, which will be changed later by the author in Spiralinella: « It appears that the name Spiralina is preoccupied and that in the fishes there is a Jordanella, a name inconveniently similar to that I proposed. Consequently a change being necessary I suggest Spiralinella (type Turbo spiralis) for the former and Jordanula (type Turbo nivosus) for the latter. » – G. W. Chaster: “Changes in Generic Names in the Pyramidellidae”, Journal of conchology vol.X, London 1901, p.8. But: « Spiralina Chaster, 1898, has been treated in the literature as a junior homonym of Spiralina Hartmann, 1840, which is however unavailable, and was not made available until Martens, 1899; see Spiralinella. Spiralina [Brown, 1844, and Gümbel, 1862], both listed in Nomenclator Zoologicus, are incorrect subsequent spellings of Spirolina Lamarck, 1804. » (WoRMS).
Tibersyrnola Laws, 1937:
Shell minute, acute, with rather flat whorls and one columellar plate; it is close to that of Syrnola A. Adams, 1860, but is much more slender, and has inner flutings on the labial wall of the tube; these flutings are not visible in front view, but can appear all along the shell by transparency with a proper light angle.
Trabecula Monterosato, 1884:
Shell imperforate. Whorls convex, adorned with a sculpture made up of strong axials, sometimes crossed by weaker spirals abapically; aperture semicircular; no columellar plates or teeth.
Tragula Monterosato, 1884:
The genus is named after the short spear used by gaulish warriors, the tragula; similar weapons were also in use in Brittania, Iberia, Helvetia and even in the roman cavalry. Shell acute, styliform, whitish; whorls moderately convex, with a large and sloping subsutural ramp; sculpture of radial folds crossed by spiral cords just above and below the suture; columella tooth-free.
Turbonillinae
Shell tapering; whorls numerous, rather flat.
Careliopsis Mörch, 1875:
Shell minute, styliform, of an opaque whitish; whorls barely convex, suture marked; axial costae very weak, crossed by thin spirals.
Eulimella Forbes & MacAndrew, 1846:
Shell minute, styliform, solid, devoid of axial sculpture; spirals weak or absent; whorls usually flat, suture marked, false suture often visible; aperture small, subquadrate; columella weakly pleated.
Pyrgiscus Philippi, 1841:
Shell minute to small, sometimes scalariform, sometimes tapering to a point; whorls almost flat, adorned with a sculpture of strong axial costae crossed by numerous thin spiral striae. « Aperture subovate, thick, entire, angular in the upper part; peristome protruding; columella perpendicular; labrum simple, sinuous posteriorly, orthocline. » – R. A. Philippi: “Zoologische Bemerkungen”, Archiv für Naturgeschichte Jahrgang 7, Bd.1, Berlin 1841, p.50. The prefix “Pyrg-” comes from the greek “Πúργoς (Pýrgos)” – the tower.
Pyrgolidium Monterosato, 1884:
« The type is the Chemnitzia internodula, S. Wood, fossil from the Crag, which has a relatively thick shell, adorned with one or more series of intercostal nodules located in the center of each whorl. Columellar fold missing. Apex inclined to the right. » – T. A. di Monterosato: Nomenclatura generica e specifica di alcune conchiglie mediterranee, Palermo 1884, p.89.
Pyrgostylus Monterosato, 1884:
Shell small, tapering to a point; whorls moderately convex, adorned with a sculpture of axial folds; pattern of radial bands; a characteristic of this genus is the presence of varices randomly scattered on the whorls, corresponding to ancient stages of the labial margin; peristome entire, angular posteriorly. Columella straight.
Syrnola A. Adams, 1860:
Shell small, often slender, tapering to a point; protoconch of type A or B; teleoconch whorls flat, separated from each other by a thin suture; surface smooth with some growth lines and some spiral microsculpture; base round; aperture entire, angled adapically, rounded anteriorly; presence of a conspicuous columellar plate and of some spiral ribs inside the labrum.
Turbonilla Risso, 1826:
Shell turriculate, moderately to very slender; whorls barely convex, adorned with a strong radial sculpture of rounded costae often set very close to each other; suture marked; the columella bears a single fold, not often visible; no spiral sculpture except on one species.
