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.
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
ORDER MELICERITITIDA Viskova, 2016
FAMILY ELEIDAE
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
SUBORDER ESTHONIOPORINA
Distinguishing Features
SUBORDER HALLOPORINA
SUBORDER AMPLEXOPORINA
(Families from Taylor, 1993)
Unplaced Trepostome genera
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
Distinguishing Features
(Families from Taylor, 1993, with additions)
Unplaced Fenestrate genera
Pinocladia
CLASS GYMNOLAEMATA
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
SUBORDER STOLONIFERINA
SUPERFAMILY TRITICELLOIDEA
SUPERFAMILY AEVERRILLIOIDEA
SUPERFAMILY WALKERIOIDEA
SUPERFAMILY ARACHNIDIOIDEA
SUPERFAMILY TEREBRIPOROIDEA
SUPERFAMILY HISLOPIOIDEA
SUPERFAMILY PENETRANTIINA
Unplaced Ctenostomates
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 NEOCHEILOSTOMINA is coextensive with this current definition of Flustrina.)
SUPERFAMILY CALLOPOROIDEA
SUPERFAMILY FLUSTROIDEA
SUPERFAMILY BUGULOIDEA
SUPERFAMILY MICROPOROIDEA
SUPERFAMILY LUNULITOIDEA
SUPERFAMILY CELLARIOIDEA
SUPERFAMILY MONOPORELLOIDEA
Unplaced Families
Unplaced Anascan genera
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
SUPERFAMILY ARACHNOPUSIOIDEA
SUPERFAMILY ADEONOIDEA
SUPERFAMILY PSEUDOLEPRALIOIDEA
SUPERFAMILY LEPRALIELLOIDEA (UMBONULOIDEA)
SUPERFAMILY CHLIDONIOPSOIDEA
SUPERFAMILY SMITTINOIDEA
SUPERFAMILY SCHIZOPORELLOIDEA
SUPERFAMILY URCEOLIPOROIDEA
SUPERFAMILY DIDYMOSELLOIDEA
SUPERFAMILY EUTHYRISELLOIDEA
SUPERFAMILY SIPHONICYTAROIDEA
SUPERFAMILY MAMILLOPOROIDEA
SUPERFAMILY CELLEPOROIDEA
SUPERFAMILY CONESCHARELLINOIDEA
Unplaced Ascophoran genera
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.
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
