The crustacean order Tanaidacea (known as tanaids) make up a minor group within the class Malacostraca. There are about 940 species in this order.

Description

Tanaids are small, shrimp-like creatures ranging from in adult size, with most species being from . Their carapace covers the first two segments of the thorax. There are three pairs of limbs on the thorax; a small pair of maxillipeds, a pair of large clawed gnathopods, and a pair of pereiopods adapted for burrowing into the mud. and each of the first five abdominal segments normally carry pleopods. The final segment is fused with the telson and carries a pair of uropods.

Taxonomy

The oldest representatives of the group are known from the Carboniferous, with modern forms emerging during the Mesozoic.

The order Tanaidacea is divided into the following sub-orders, superfamilies and families:

  • Suborder Anthracocaridomorpha †
  • Family Anthracocarididae † <small>Brooks, 1962 emend. Schram, 1979</small>
  • Family Niveotanaidae † <small>Polz, 2005</small>
  • Suborder Apseudomorpha
  • Superfamily Apseudoidea <small>Leach, 1814</small> (incl. former superfamily Jurapseudoidea)
  • Family Apseudellidae <small>Gutu, 1972</small>
  • Family Apseudidae <small>Leach, 1814</small>
  • Family Eucryptocaridae <small>Heard et al. 2020</small>
  • Family Gigantapseudidae <small>Kudinova-Pasternak, 1978</small>
  • Family Jurapseudidae † <small>Schram, Sieg & Malzahn, 1986</small>
  • Family Kalliapseudidae <small>Lang, 1956</small>
  • Family Metapseudidae <small>Lang, 1970</small>
  • Family Numbakullidae <small>Gutu & Heard, 2002</small>
  • Family Ophthalmapseudidae <small>Heard et al. 2020</small>
  • Family Pagurapseudidae <small>Lang, 1970</small>
  • Family Pagurapseudopsididae <small>Gutu, 2006</small>
  • Family Parapseudidae <small>Gutu, 1981</small>
  • Family Protoapseudoidae <small>Heard et al. 2020</small>
  • Family Sphaeromapseudidae <small>Larsen, 2012</small>
  • Family Sphyrapodidae <small>Gutu, 1980</small>
  • Family Tanzanapseudidae <small>Bacescu, 1975</small>
  • Family Whiteleggiidae <small>Gutu, 1972</small>
  • Genus Palaeotanais † <small>Reiff, 1936</small>
  • Superfamily Cretitanaoidea † <small>Schram, Sieg, Malzahn, 1983</small>
  • Family Cretitanaidae † <small>Schram, Sieg & Malzahn, 1986</small>
  • Suborder Tanaidomorpha
  • Superfamily Neotanaoidea <small>Sieg, 1980</small>
  • Family Neotanaidae <small>Lang, 1956</small>
  • Superfamily Paratanaoidea <small>Lang, 1949</small>
  • Family Agathotanaidae <small>Lang, 1971</small>
  • Family Akanthophoreidae <small>Sieg, 1986</small>
  • Family Alavatanaidae † <small>Vonk & Schram, 2007</small>
  • Family Anarthruridae <small>Lang, 1971</small>
  • Family Colletteidae <small>Larsen & Wilson, 2002</small>
  • Family Cryptocopidae <small>Sieg, 1977</small>
  • Family Heterotanoididae <small>Bird, 2012</small>
  • Family Leptocheliidae <small>Lang, 1973</small>
  • Family Leptognathiidae <small>Sieg, 1976</small>
  • Family Mirandotanaidae <small>Blazewicz-Paszkowycz & Bamber, 2009</small>
  • Family Nototanaidae <small>Sieg, 1976</small>
  • Family Paratanaidae <small>Lang, 1949</small>
  • Family Pseudotanaidae <small>Sieg, 1976</small>
  • Family Pseudozeuxidae <small>Sieg, 1982</small>
  • Family Tanaellidae <small>Larsen & Wilson, 2002</small>
  • Family Tanaissuidae <small>Bird & Larsen, 2009</small>
  • Family Tanaopsidae <small>Błażewicz-Paszkowycz & Bamber, 2012</small>
  • Family Teleotanaidae <small>Bamber, 2008</small>
  • Family Typhlotanaidae <small>Sieg, 1984</small>
  • Superfamily Tanaidoidea <small>Nobili, 1906</small>
  • Family Tanaididae <small>Nobili, 1906</small>

References