See text Clavidae Casey, 1904 (non McCrady, 1859: preoccupied) The Drilliidae are a taxonomic family of small predatory sea snails with high-spired shells.

[5] This family has wide distribution, ranging from Iceland to the Antarctic Ocean, found at intertidal to abyssal depths.

In 1942, the species with a U-shaped sinus and a parietal callus pad were brought by Powell in the new subfamily Clavinae.

In 1966, Morrison proposed the subfamily Drillinae (= Clavinae) for the species with a stenoglossan radula with comb-like lateral teeth.

Finally, in 1993, Taylor et al. proposed the promotion of Drillinae from subfamily to the family level Drilliidae.