According to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda (Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005), this group is considered to be a subfamily, the Coralliophilinae, of the family Muricidae.

[1] Prior to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda (Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005), the Coralliophilinae was recognized as a distinct family the Coralliophilidae.

The subfamily Coralliophilinae is monophyletic, as confirmed by genetic research with molecular markers.

They can be found in very diverse places such as the mid-Atlantic seamounts, the Canary Islands, the deep water coral banks in the Mediterranean, from the Florida Keys to Brazil, the Indo-Pacific Region, the southwest Pacific, the Austral Islands (South Pacific).

Such a dispersal of the subfamily can be attributed to oceanic currents and planktotrophic larval development.