| Oikopleuridae | |
|---|---|
| |
| Oikopleura dioica | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Tunicata |
| Class: | Appendicularia |
| Order: | Copelata |
| Family: | Oikopleuridae Lahille, 1887[1] |
| Subfamilies, tribes and genera | |
| |
Oikopleuridae is a family of larvacean tunicates. A comparatively species-rich family, it has been especially well-researched thanks to the ubiquity of Oikopleura dioica as a model species. It comprises two subfamilies, Bathochordaeinae and Oikopleurinae, itself divided into the tribes Alabiata and Labiata.[2]
It is believed to be sister to the clade formed by the two other families (Fritillariidae and Kowalevskiidae), united by common derived characteristics lacking in Oikopleuridae.[3]
- ^ Etude systématique des tuniciers. F Lahille, 1887
- ^ Fenaux, R.; Bone, Q.; Deibel, D. (1998). "Appendicularian distribution and zoogeography". In Bone, Q. (ed.). The biology of pelagic tunicates. Oxford University Press. pp. 251–264.
- ^ Brena, Carlo; Cima, Francesca; Burighel, Paolo (31 July 2003). "Alimentary tract of Kowalevskiidae (Appendicularia, Tunicata) and evolutionary implications". Journal of Morphology. doi:10.1002/jmor.10145.