The Cerithioidea is a superfamily of marine, brackish water and freshwater gastropod containing more than 200 genera. The Cerithoidea are included unassigned in the subclass Caenogastropoda. The original name of this superfamily was Cerithiacea, in keeping with common superfamily endings at the time. Ecology Cerithioidea is a very diverse superfamily. Its species can be found worldwide mainly in tropic and subtropic seas on rocky intertidal shores, seagrass beds and algal fronds, but also in estuarine and freshwater habitats. The freshwater species are found on all continents, except Antarctica. They are dominant members of mangrove forests, estuarine mudflats, fast-flowing rivers and placid lakes. Fossil record Their fossil record of this superfamily can be traced back as far as the early Triassic but they began radiating mainly during the Cretaceous. Taxonomy The Cerithioidea are presumed to be monophyletic (one lineage). However the phylogenetic relationships between its families are still under investigation because mitochondrial recombinant DNA sequences failed to resolve these questions. 2005 taxonomy According to the Taxonomy of the Gastropoda (Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005), the following families are included in Cerithioidea: Amphimelaniidae P. Fischer & Crosse, 1891 Batillariidae Thiele, 1929 - monophyletic † Brachytrematidae Cossmann, 1906 † Cassiopidae Beurlen, 1967 Cerithiidae Fleming, 1822 - monophyletic Dialidae Kay, 1979 Diastomatidae Cossman, 1894 † Eustomatidae Cossmann, 1906 † Ladinulidae Bandel, 1992 † Lanascalidae Bandel, 1992 Litiopidae Gray, 1847 † Maoraxidae Bandel, Gründel, Maxwell, 2000 Melanopsidae H. Adams & A. Adams, 1854 - freshwater snails, polyphyletic Modulidae P. Fischer, 1884 Pachychilidae P. Fischer & Crosse, 1892 Paludomidae Stoliczka, 1868 Pelycidiidae Ponder & Hall, 1983 Pickworthiidae Iredale, 1917 Planaxidae Gray, 1850 Pleuroceridae P. Fischer, 1885 (1863) - freshwater snails, polyphyletic † Popenellidae Bandel, 1992 Potamididae H. Adams & A. Adams, 1854 - monophyletic † Procerithiidae Cossmann, 1906 - If the genus Argyropeza is placed in the Procerithiidae, then this family is no longer exclusively a family of fossils. † Propupaspiridae Nützel, Pan & Erwin, 2002 † Prostyliferidae Bandel, 1992 Scaliolidae Jousseaume, 1912 - monophyletic Semisulcospiridae J. P. E. Morrison, 1952 Siliquariidae Anton, 1838 Thiaridae Gill, 1871 (1823) - freshwater snails, polyphyletic Turritellidae Lovén, 1847 - monophyletic Zemelanopsidae Neiber & Glaubrecht, 2019 (Extinct taxa indicated by a dagger, †.) It is possible that a further detailed examination may show that the polyphyletic families Melanopsidae and Pleuroceridae are one family. There is also a close phylogenetic relationship between the families Modulidae and Potamididae and between the families Cerithiidae