Abstract. Apomorphies of the family Ephydridae and its monophyly are discussed. Revised interpretation of the male terminalia is proposed and the variability of adult proboscis is presented. Apomorphies of adults mouthparts are resulted from adaptations to microphagy, mining or algal consumption and well reflect relations among major clades. Genus Brachydeutera is transferred from Dagini to Hyadinini; subfamilies Discomyzinae and Hydrelliinae are combined; four tribes: Atissini, Lipochaetini, Ilytheini, and Dryxini are link into subfamily Lipochaetinae; tribe Hyadinini is moved to the subfamily Ephydrinae. The new phylogeny of shore flies (Ephydridae) on the subfamilial level is proposed, resulted mostly from modifications of proboscis and the male terminalia. The family is divided into four subfamilies with 19 tribes: Hydrelliinae (Discomyzini, Hydrelliini, Notiphilini, Psilopini, and Typopsilopini), Gymnomyzinae (Discocerinini, Gymnomyzini, Gastropini, Hecamedini, and Ochtherini), Lipochaetinae (Atissini, Dryxini, Ilytheini and Lipochaetini), and Ephydrinae (Dagini, Ephydrini, Hyadinini, Parydrini and Scatellini).