The columbellid species found in the infralittoral and the circalittoral off the Canary Islands and attributed to the genera Columbella, Mitrella, Anachis, Parvanachis, Zafra and Nassarina are discussed. Taxonomy, phenetic variability and range of distribution of the species are commented. Mitrella turbita (Duclos, 1840) is confirmed to be found off Gran Canaria, and it is recorded for the first time from Fuerteventura. Nitidella ocellina Nordsieck, 1975 and Pusionella scripta Nordsieck, 1975 are considered as junior synonyms of Mitrella broderipi (Sowerby, 1844). A slender “deeper form” of Mitrella broderipi is recorded from the Canary Islands and it is showed to belong to the morphologic variability of the species. The overall morphologic similarity with Mitrella broderipi and the presence of the same array of chromatic variation leads to make the hypothesis that Anachis avaroides Nordsieck, 1975 might be a ribbed variation of M. broderipi. The occurrence of Mitrella bruggeni van Aartsen, Menkhorst and Gittenberger, 1984 is confirmed in the Canary Islands, with a stout shelled “shallow form”, similar to the populations found in Mediterranean, and a slender “deeper form” restricted to the Canary Islands. Buccinum canariense d’Orbigny, 1839 is stated to be a junior synonym of Mitrella ocellata (Gmelin, 1791). The Caribbean species Parvanachis obesa (C. B. Adams, 1845) is recorded from the harbour of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. This occurrence is interpreted as resulting from an accidental human introduction, but the maintaining of the discovered population remains to be confirmed. Conversely, the Indo Pacific species Zafra exilis (Philippi, 1849) is confirmed to occur all around Gran Canaria and possibly to be settling in Tenerife, as a case of successful introduction by the naval traffic. The documentation at hand leads to consider that failed introductions may be frequent, as resulting directly from the contemporary maritime economy. Nassarina rietae Segers and Swinnen, 2004 is considered as a possible endemic from the Canary Islands. The presence of axial ribs is showed to be very variable within a species like M. turbita or within a species-group like the M. broderipi / M. avaroides one. As a result, the separation between the Mitrella group and the Anachis group on the basis of the lack or of the presence of axial ribs is appreciated as being artificial. This point is proposed as an argument for a reviewing of the supraspecific classification of the Columbellidae.