Oikopleuridae
| Oikopleuridae | |
|---|---|
| Oikopleura dioica | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Tunicata |
| Class: | Appendicularia |
| Order: | Copelata |
| Family: | Oikopleuridae Lahille, 1887 |
| 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.
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.