Systematic List of Families of Bryozoa

('Corrected' terminations of some systematic names not yet included).
Many of the families and genera of cheilostomes now have pages without illustrations of species. The links leading to illustrations are marked with the symbol "◎".

Index: (Jump to the appropriate taxonomic group)

Order Cyclostomata
Order(?) Hederellida
Order Cryptostomida
Order Cystoporida
Order Trepostomatida
Order Fenestrida
Order Ctenostomata
Order Cheilostomata
Suborder Flustrina
Suborder Ascophorina
Infraorder Umbonulomorpha
Infraorder Lepraliomorpha
Class Phylactolaemata

CLASS STENOLAEMATA

Current research (2014) on the higher-level systematics of the Palaeozoic bryozoans has indicated the separation of a Superorder Palaeostomata from the Palaeozoic Cyclostomata. Six orders are now recognised in the Palaeostomata: the Cystoporata, Esthonioporata, Trepostomata, Cryptostomata, Fenestrata and Timanodictyina. (Ma, Buttler & Taylor, 2014). As I have inadequate data on the status for most of the families of this group, the following list is a work in progress. Further corrections and improvements are invited. (Note added 24/9/2015).

An alternative classification of the Stenolaemata, based upon Recent Russian systematics, is given in an alternative document. The arrangement of families in the file system, and in this page that you are reading, is not intended to imply endorsement of the systematic scheme.

ORDER CYCLOSTOMATA

Distinguishing Features
Family-level systematics of the cyclostomes is poorly known. Some families are distinctive and well defined. However, others are inadequately defined, and there is no consistent version of a classification. The following list includes most of the families included in a variety of references. Several of these are either not very useful, or are considered by most authorities to be invalid. These are indicated by a smaller font in this list.

SUBORDER PALAEOSTOMATA Ma, Buttler & Taylor, 2014

SUBORDER TUBULIPORINA

SUBORDER FASCICULINA

SUBORDER ARTICULINA

SUBORDER CANCELLATA

SUBORDER CERIOPORINA

SUBORDER RECTANGULATA

Cyclostomatids with family placement uncertain

ORDER MELICERITITIDA Viskova, 2016

  • FAMILY ELEIDAE
  • ORDER (?) HEDERELLIDA

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    ORDER CYSTOPORIDA

    Distinguishing Features

    Families from Boardman, R.S. et al. 1983, Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology, Part G (Revised) Vol.1.

    SUBORDER CERAMOPORINA

    SUBORDER FISTULIPORINA

    SUBORDER HEXAGONELLINA

    Unplaced Cystoporid genera

    ORDER ESTHONIOPORATA

    SUBORDER ESTHONIOPORINA

    ORDER TREPOSTOMATIDA

    Distinguishing Features

    SUBORDER HALLOPORINA

    SUBORDER AMPLEXOPORINA

    (Families from Taylor, 1993)

    Unplaced Trepostome genera

    ORDER CRYPTOSTOMIDA

    Distinguishing Features

    Families from Boardman, R.S. et al. 1983, Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology, Part G (Revised) Vol.1; and Taylor (1993). Further suborders and families have been added from the work of Goryunova (1985). I have included several families proposed in the past 15 years, but which appear not to have been generally adopted. I would like to hear from anyone with critical comments that can help towards a reasonably stable classification.

    SUBORDER PTILODICTYINA

    SUBORDER RHABDOMESINA

    SUBORDER TIMANODICTYINA

    SUBORDER GOLDFUSSITRYPINA

    SUBORDER STREBLOTRYPINA

    Unplaced Cryptostomids

    ORDER FENESTRIDA

    Distinguishing Features

    (Families from Taylor, 1993, with additions)

    Unplaced Fenestrate genera

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  • Pinocladia

  • CLASS GYMNOLAEMATA

    ORDER CTENOSTOMATA

    Distinguishing Features

    Cladistic analysis of ctenostomes strongly supports the view that this is a paraphyletic grouping, with the clade including all non-phylactolaemate bryozoans (Todd, 1990). The name Gymnolaemata is suggested (by Todd) for this clade. The term 'Ctenostomata' would thus be used for an informal, paraphyletic grouping of non-skeletized taxa. A page outlining the proposed phylogenetic classification will be prepared, as soon as I work out how to format it! For the present, the arrangement of files and directories on this site will continue using traditional hierarchical systematics.

    PROTOCTENOSTOMATA

    SUPERFAMILY BENEDENIPOROIDEA

    SUBORDER ALCYONIDIINA

    SUPERFAMILY ALCYONIDIOIDEA

    SUPERFAMILY HAYWARDOZOONOIDEA

    SUBORDER VICTORELLINA

    SUPERFAMILY VICTORELLOIDEA

    SUBORDER PALUDICELLINA

    SUPERFAMILY PALUDICELLOIDEA

    SUBORDER VESICULARINA

    SUPERFAMILY VESICULARIOIDEA

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    SUBORDER STOLONIFERINA

    SUPERFAMILY TRITICELLOIDEA

    SUPERFAMILY AEVERRILLIOIDEA

    SUPERFAMILY WALKERIOIDEA

    SUPERFAMILY ARACHNIDIOIDEA

    SUPERFAMILY TEREBRIPOROIDEA

    SUPERFAMILY HISLOPIOIDEA

    SUPERFAMILY PENETRANTIINA

    Unplaced Ctenostomates

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    ORDER CHEILOSTOMATA

    Distinguishing Features

    The use of the term 'Cheilostomatida' for this Order was proposed a few years ago, to achieve consistency in terminations of ordinal names. As this suggestion has not become generally adopted, the usage is not continued in these web pages. The arrangement of cheilostome families is based upon an Interim Classification by D.P. Gordon. Much of the background of this classification has not yet been published. The Working Lists are accessible as Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files. These are: the Systematic List of Families, and the Alphabetic List of Genera (Update 6th August 2014)
    Many of the families and genera now have pages without illustrations of species. The links leading to illustrations are marked with the symbol "◎".

    "Anasca": The Suborder Anasca has been used widely previously, and is now considered to be an informal grouping of the Suborders Inovicellina, Scupariina, Malacostegina, and the Superfamilies Calloporoidea, Buguloidea, Flustroidea and Cellarioidea in the Flustrina. It is clear that much further work is needed on the relationships between the families of cheilostomes.

    SUBORDER MEMBRANIPORINA

    SUPERFAMILY MEMBRANIPOROIDEA

    SUBORDER AETEINA

    SUPERFAMILY AETEOIDEA

    SUBORDER TENDRINA

    SUPERFAMILY TENDROIDEA

    SUBORDER THALAMOPORELLINA

    SUPERFAMILY THALAMOPORELLOIDEA

    SUBORDER BELLULOPORINA

    SUPERFAMILY BELLULOPOROIDEA

    SUBORDER SCRUPARIINA

    SUPERFAMILY SCRUPARIOIDEA

    SUBORDER FLUSTRINA

    (SUBORDER NEOCHEILOSTOMINA is coextensive with this current definition of Flustrina.)

    SUPERFAMILY CALLOPOROIDEA

    SUPERFAMILY FLUSTROIDEA

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    SUPERFAMILY BUGULOIDEA

    SUPERFAMILY MICROPOROIDEA

    SUPERFAMILY LUNULITOIDEA

    SUPERFAMILY CELLARIOIDEA

    SUPERFAMILY MONOPORELLOIDEA

    Unplaced Families

    Unplaced Anascan genera

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    "SUBORDER ASCOPHORA"

    The Suborder Ascophora is now considered as an informal morphological grouping of the following superfamilies in this list.

    INFRAORDER ACANTHOSTEGA

    SUPERFAMILY CRIBRILINOIDEA

    SUPERFAMILY BIFAXARIOIDEA

    SUPERFAMILY SCORIOPOROIDEA

    SUPERFAMILY CATENICELLOIDEA

    INFRAORDER HIPPOTHOOMORPHA

    SUPERFAMILY HIPPOTHOOIDEA

    INFRAORDER UMBONULOMORPHA

    SUPERFAMILY ARACHNOPUSIOIDEA

    SUPERFAMILY ADEONOIDEA

    SUPERFAMILY PSEUDOLEPRALIOIDEA

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    SUPERFAMILY LEPRALIELLOIDEA (UMBONULOIDEA)

    SUPERFAMILY CHLIDONIOPSOIDEA

    INFRAORDER LEPRALIOMORPHA

    SUPERFAMILY SMITTINOIDEA

    SUPERFAMILY SCHIZOPORELLOIDEA

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    SUPERFAMILY URCEOLIPOROIDEA

    SUPERFAMILY DIDYMOSELLOIDEA

    SUPERFAMILY EUTHYRISELLOIDEA

    SUPERFAMILY SIPHONICYTAROIDEA

    SUPERFAMILY MAMILLOPOROIDEA

    SUPERFAMILY CELLEPOROIDEA

    SUPERFAMILY CONESCHARELLINOIDEA

    Unplaced Ascophoran genera

    CLASS PHYLACTOLAEMATA

    Distinguishing Features

    ORDER PLUMATELLIDA

    Vinogradov (2004) has proposed that the Phylactolaemata be considered as a separate phylum, within a Superphylum Phoronidomorpha. This scheme is not followed here, as the results from molecular studies do not support this. In addition, the new Family Hyalinellidae Vinogradov, 2004 is not applied here.

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    Home Page Alphabetic Family List
    Edited by Phil Bock
    Modified on 23/3/2021
    Modified on 27/4/2021
    Modified on 20/6/2021
    Modified on 5/8/2023
    This URL is http://bryozoa.net/famsys.html