Colombellinidae is an extinct family of marine gastropods occurring in carbonate facies from the Middle Jurassic to the lowermost Upper Cretaceous, primarily in Europe and rarely in Asia. Members of the family are characterized by thick, oval shells with a narrow aperture bearing anterior and posterior canals, a thickened peristome and a denticulate outer lip. Colombellinids share several shell characters with representatives of Cypraeoidea, including a narrow, elongated aperture, but unlike cypraeids, their shells are not convolute. Based on a comprehensive revision of all described species, the taxonomy of Colombellinidae is clarified, and the family is restricted to only two genera: Colombellina d’Orbigny, 1842, and Zittelia Gemmellaro, 1869. One new species, Colombellina crassigranulata sp. nov., from the Upper Jurassic of Bulgaria, and one new genus, Wadeina gen. nov., from the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) of Tennessee, USA – with a type species previously included in Colombellinidae but here assigned to the family Personidae (Tonnoidea) – are described. The distribution of the family and associated facies indicates a preference for shallow marine carbonate environments, while their low abundance may indicate a carnivorous mode of life. A comparison of Colombellinidae with Tonnoidea, Cypraeoidea and Purpurinidae sheds a new light on the phylogenetic relationships of these groups and supports the interpretation of Colombellinidae as a stem or sister group of Cypraeoidea. This study contributes to a refined systematics of Jurassic–Cretaceous gastropods and provides new evidence for the early diversification of higher caenogastropods.

This study presents the first sponge biodiversity inventory of Los Picos reef in Veracruz, Mexico. Although the Veracruz Reef System is known for its high sponge diversity, several recently discovered submerged reefs – including Los Picos – had remained biologically uncharacterised until this investigation. Our comprehensive inventory documents 37 species, identified at the species level, all belonging to Demospongiae; 15 of which are new records for the Mexican coast, and 13 for the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Six species are described as new: Psammocinia alcoladoi sp. nov., distinguished by a dermal surface armoured with sand and spongin filaments, lightly fasciculated primary fibres, and non fasciculated secondary with long conules and slender fiber diameters; Hyatella hyattus sp. nov., distinguished by its soft and lobular habitus, and slender fiber diameters; Zyzzya marinagreenae sp. nov., is an open fistula with acanthostrongyles irregularly spined and both, acanthostrongyles and isochelae, smaller in size; Desmapsamma paulumharenae sp. nov., has an encrusting shape with larger spicules than D. anchorata; Phorbas veracruzanus sp. nov., consists of conule-shaped processes on an embedded layer and morphometric differences on spicules; and Timea citlallitzina sp. nov., stands out by the lumpy tips of the oxyaster type. The whole, highlighted by two genera, Psammocinia and Zyzzya, both reported for the first time in the GoM. Samples were obtained by SCUBA surveys at 10–16 m depth, between August and October 2017.