Mitogenomic phylogeny of Nassariidae (Neogastropoda: Buccinoidea)

Mud snails (family Nassariidae) represent a highly diversified lineage within the superfamily Buccinoidea. Recent molecular phylogenies contradicted in some instances the traditional nassariid classification and revealed important levels of homoplasy in phenotypic characters. In order to clarify the boundaries of the family Nassariidae, as well as to inquire on the diversification of the cosmopolitan Nassariinae, a robust phylogenetic framework is needed. Here, the near-complete mitogenomes of 31 species representing almost all lineages of Nassariidae plus several buccinoid outgroups were sequenced. All mitogenomes of buccinoids shared the same gene order, which is identical to the consensus reported for caenogastropods. The monophyly of Nassariidae as previously defined was not confirmed. The reconstructed phylogeny revealed distant relationships between the genera Cyllene, Anentome, Tomlinia, Engoniophos, Phos and Antillophos and the majority of nassariids, represented by Nassariinae + Bullia. Within Nassariinae, a robust phylogeny, which recognized a total of seven regional groups, was reconstructed. The West Atlantic/Mediterranean genus Tritia was divided into three clades. The biogeographical analysis together with the inferred chronogram suggested that Nassariinae might have originated during the late Paleocene in the Indo-Pacific region. Subsequent climate change and continental drift events triggered diversification within the subfamily, leading to the worldwide distribution of current genera.