[5] Species are traditionally classified into five taxonomic groups, the Pythiidae, the Laemodontidae, the Melampodidae, the Ellobiidae and the Carychiidae.

[1] The family Ellobiidae consists of the following subfamilies (according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005):[3] The high degree of homoplasy in morphological characters and frequent low variability has led to the description of approximately 800 species names available in the literature, of which 250 are likely to be valid.

[1] A molecular study by Dayrat at al. (2011)[6] for the Ellobioidea suggests a monophyletic origin of the entire group.

The taxon Ellobioidea comprises a group of morphologically and ecologically highly diverse snails, known to have successfully invaded the marine, brackish water and terrestrial habitats.

[1] These are mostly snails that live in salt marshes and similar maritime habitats, and thus have a tolerance for saline conditions.