A Vademecum for more than 2400 suprageneric names in recent and fossil gastropods, from the subtribe to the superfamily. For each name full bibliographic reference is given, with date of publication, type genus, nomenclatural availability and validity under the rules of the ICZN. Further 730 names of higher taxa are listed separately. Altogether 611 valid family-names, 202 of them, exclusively fossil, are recognised in the proposed classification, worked out by world-known specialists.