Melongenidae Gill, 1871

Harzhauser, Mathias & Landau, Bernard M., 2024, The Colubrariidae, Eosiphonidae, Melongenidae, Pisaniidae, Prodotiidae and Tudiclidae (Gastropoda, Buccinoidea) of the Miocene Paratethys Sea, Zootaxa 5427 (1), pp. 1-110 : 16

Family Melongenidae Gill, 1871 (1854)

Revised diagnosis. “ Shell medium-sized to very large, over 400 mm, varying from broadly ovate with very short canal to fusiform with moderately long canal, or narrowly fusiform with very long siphonal canal. Protoconch paucispiral, medium-large. Axial sculpture from weak to strong, from growth lines to prominent axial ribs, knobs or long spines on shoulder. Spiral sculpture represented by strong cords of variable strength. Aperture elongate, inner lip often with pronounced parietal callus. Shell colour varying from light to dark brown, sometimes with spiral bands; shell often covered with periostracum.” ( Kantor et al. 2022: 834).

Discussion. Of the genera placed in Melongenidae by Kantor et al. (2022), only Melongena Schumacher, 1817 occurs in the Miocene of the Paratethys Sea. In addition, Pugilina Schumacher, 1817 was documented by Kovács & Vicián (2016) from the Egerian (Chattian) of Hungary ( Pugilina katalinae Kovács & Vicián, 2016 ) but Paleogene species are not included herein.

Genus Melongena Schumacher, 1817

Type species. Melongena fasciata Schumacher, 1817 [= Melongena melongena ( Linnaeus, 1758) ], by monotypy. Present-day, Caribbean Sea.

Original diagnosis. “ Aperture oval-oblong, anteriorly constricted; rostrum short, straight; open canal; outer lip sharp; inner lip callous; columella imperforate.” ( Schumacher 1817: 64, translated from Latin).