Belongs within: Vanikoroidea.
Melanella is a pantropical genus of gastropods that are mostly parasites on sea cucumbers and starfish (Wilson 1993).
Characters (Wilson 1993): Elongately conical, rather flat-sided, with many whorls and oily, glossy surface; apex evenly tapered, often bent; aperture short, inner lip slightly reflected; operculate. Sexes separate; sexually dimorphic, males much smaller than females.
Melanella Bowdich 1822BR05 [incl. Eulimaustra Laseron 1955W93]
|--*M. dufresnii Bowdich 1822BR17
|--M. acicula Gould 1849W93
|--M. aciculata (Pease 1861)W93 [=Balcis aciculatusK65, Eulima (Subularia) aciculataK65]
|--M. anomala Laseron 1955W93
|--M. attenuata Sowerby 1866W93
|--M. berryi Bartsch 1917O27
|--M. bibsae Usticke 1959BC01
|--M. catalinensis Bartsch 1917O27
|--M. columbiana Bartsch 1917O27
|--M. comoxensis Bartsch 1917O27
|--M. conoideaW62
| |--M. c. conoideaW62
| `--M. c. nisoformis Olsson & Harbison 1953W62
|--M. cuspidata Adams 1851W93
|--M. grippi Bartsch 1917O27
|--M. laseroni Hedley 1916P61
|--M. lastra Bartsch 1917O27
|--M. macra Bartsch 1917O27
|--M. martinii (Adams 1854) [=Eulima martinii]H09
|--M. montereyensis Bartsch 1917O27
|--M. oblongaW93
|--M. oxytata Watson 1883W93
|--M. peninsularis Bartsch 1917O27
|--M. petterdi (Beddome 1883) [=Eulima petterdi]H09
|--M. portlandica Bartsch 1927O27
|--M. proxima Sowerby 1866 [=*Eulimaustra proxima]W93
|--M. (Polygireulima) spatha Weisbord 1962W62
|--M. spinaW93
`--M. tortuosa (Adams & Reeve 1850) [=Eulima tortuosa]H09
*Type species of generic name indicated
References
[BR17] Bouchet, P., J.-P. Rocroi, B. Hausdorf, A. Kaim, Y. Kano, A. Nützel, P. Parkhaev, M. Schrödl & E. E. Strong. 2017. Revised classification, nomenclator and typification of gastropod and monoplacophoran families. Malacologia 61 (1–2): 1–526.
[BC01] Boyko, C. B., & J. R. Cordeiro. 2001. Catalog of Recent type specimens in the Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History. V. Mollusca, part 2 (class Gastropoda [exclusive of Opisthobranchia and Pulmonata], with supplements to Gastropoda [Opisthobranchia], and Bivalvia). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 262: 1–170.
[H09] Hedley, C. 1909. The Marine Fauna of Queensland: Address by the President of Section D. Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science: Brisbane.
[K65] Kay, E. A. 1965. Marine molluscs in the Cuming collection, British Museum (Natural History) described by William Harper Pease. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History): Zoology Supplement 1: 1–96, 14 pls.
[O27] Oldroyd, I. S. 1927. The Marine Shells of the West Coast of North America vol. 2 pt 2. Stanford University Press: Stanford University (California).
[P61] Powell, A. W. B. 1961. Shells of New Zealand: An illustrated handbook 4th ed. Whitcombe and Tombs Limited: Christchurch.
[W62] Weisbord, N. E. 1962. Late Cenozoic gastropods from northern Venezuela. Bulletins of American Paleontology 62: 7–672.
[W93] Wilson, B. 1993. Australian Marine Shells vol. 1. Prosobranch Gastropods. Part One. Odyssey Publishing: Kallaroo (Western Australia).