Hyperiidea Explained

The Hyperiidea are a suborder of amphipods, small aquatic crustaceans. Unlike the other suborders of Amphipoda, hyperiids are exclusively marine and do not occur in fresh water. Hyperiids are distinguished by their large eyes and planktonic habitat. Most species of hyperiids are parasites or predators of salps and jellyfish in the plankton, although Themisto gaudichaudii and a few relatives are free-swimming predators of copepods and other small planktonic animals.

Taxonomy

According to Vinogradov et al. in 1996,^[1] 233 species of Hyperiidea are known.

Some controversy exists as to the number of families in the Hyperiidea, being given as between 20 and 23 depending on whether groups like the Thaumatopsidae are considered distinct or not. The taxonomy of Hyperiidea currently accepted by the World Register of Marine Species is as follows:^[2]

Infraorder Physocephalata Bowman & Gruner, 1973

Parvorder Physocephalatidira Bowman & Gruner, 1973
- Superfamily Phronimoidea Rafinesque, 1815
  - Family Bougisidae Zeidler, 2004
  - Family Cystisomatidae Willemöes-Suhm, 1875
  - Family Dairellidae Bovallius, 1887
  - Family Hyperiidae Dana, 1852
  - Family Iulopididae Zeidler, 2004
  - Family Lestrigonidae Zeidler, 2004
  - Family Phronimidae Rafinesque, 1815
  - Family Phrosinidae Dana, 1852
- Superfamily Platysceloidea Spence Bate, 1862
  - Family Amphithyridae Zeidler, 2016
  - Family Anapronoidae Bowman & Gruner, 1973
  - Family Brachyscelidae Stephensen, 1923
  - Family Eupronoidae Zeidler, 2016
  - Family Lycaeidae Claus, 1879
  - Family Lycaeopsidae Chevreux, 1913
  - Family Oxycephalidae Dana, 1852
  - Family Parascelidae Bovallius, 1887
  - Family Platyscelidae Spence Bate, 1862
  - Family Pronoidae Dana, 1852
  - Family Thamneidae Zeidler, 2016
  - Family Tryphanidae Boeck, 1871
- Superfamily Vibilioidea Dana, 1852
  - Family Cyllopodidae Bovallius, 1887
  - Family Paraphronimidae Bovallius, 1887
  - Family Vibiliidae Dana, 1852

Infraorder Physosomata Pirlot, 1929

Parvorder Physosomatidira Pirlot, 1929
- Superfamily Lanceoloidea Bovallius, 1887
  - Family Chuneolidae Woltereck, 1909
  - Family Lanceolidae Bovallius, 1887
  - Family Megalanceolidae Zeidler, 2009
  - Family Metalanceolidae Zeidler, 2009
  - Family Microphasmidae Stephensen & Pirlot, 1931
  - Family Mimonecteolidae Zeidler, 2009
  - Family Prolanceolidae Zeidler, 2009
- Superfamily Scinoidea Stebbing, 1888
  - Family Archaeoscinidae K. H. Barnard, 1930
  - Family Microscinidae Zeidler, 2012
  - Family Mimonectidae Bovallius, 1885
  - Family Mimoscinidae Zeidler, 2012
  - Family Scinidae Stebbing, 1888

Distribution

Hyperiidea are known from many oceans of the world, including 69 species in the Southern Ocean.^[3]

Notes and References

Book: Vinogradov, M. E.. A. F. Volkov. T. N. Semenova. amp . 1996 . Hyperiid amphipods (Amphipoda: Hyperiidea) of the world . 1-886106-48-7. Science Publishers. Lebanon, N. H..
Hyperiidea . 1205 . 2 July 2020.
C. De Broyer . K. Jazdzewski . 1993 . Contribution to the marine biodiversity inventory: A checklist of the Amphipoda (Crustacea) of the Southern Ocean . Doc Trav Inst R Sci Nat Belg . 73 . 2006-02-02 . 2011-07-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110706160920/http://www.naturalsciences.be/amphi/carcilist.htm . dead .