# Multicrustacea

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Multicrustacea
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Multicrustacea.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multicrustacea
> Source revision: 1350783102
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

Superclass of crustaceans

Multicrustacea Temporal range: Middle Cambrian–Present PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N From left to right and from top to bottom: Grapsus grapsus (a crab), Homarus gammarus (a lobster), Procambarus clarkii (a crayfish), Lysmata amboinensis (a shrimp), Euphausia superba (a krill), Hemilepistus reaumuri (a woodlouse), Calanoida (a copepod), and Lepas anatifera (a barnacle) Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Clade: Pancrustacea Superclass: Multicrustacea Regier, Shultz, Zwick, Hussey, Ball, Wetzer, Martin & Cunningham, 2010 Classes Copepoda Malacostraca Thecostraca Tantulocarida †Cyclida †Thylacocephala

The [clade](/source/Clade)[1][2][3][4] **Multicrustacea** constitutes the largest [superclass](/source/Superclass_(biology)) of [crustaceans](/source/Crustacean), containing approximately four-fifths of all described non-[hexapod](/source/Hexapoda) crustacean species, including [crabs](/source/Crab), [lobsters](/source/Lobster), [crayfish](/source/Crayfish), [shrimp](/source/Caridea), [krill](/source/Krill), [prawns](/source/Dendrobranchiata), [woodlice](/source/Woodlice), [barnacles](/source/Barnacle), [copepods](/source/Copepod), [amphipods](/source/Amphipods), [mantis shrimp](/source/Mantis_shrimp) and others. The largest branch of Multicrustacea is the [class](/source/Class_(biology)) [Malacostraca](/source/Malacostraca) (see below).

## Classification

- **Superclass Multicrustacea** Regier, Shultz, Zwick, Hussey, Ball, Wetzer, Martin & Cunningham, 2010[5] - Class Unknown - Order Unknown - †Family [Priscansermarinidae](/source/Priscansermarinidae) Newman, 2004 - Class [Copepoda](/source/Copepoda) Milne-Edwards, 1840 – Copepods[a] - Infraclass [Neocopepoda](/source/Neocopepoda) Huys & Boxshall, 1991 - Superorder [Gymnoplea](/source/Gymnoplea) [Giesbrecht](/source/Wilhelm_Giesbrecht), 1882 - Order [Calanoida](/source/Calanoida) Sars GO, 1903 - Superorder [Podoplea](/source/Podoplea) [Giesbrecht](/source/Wilhelm_Giesbrecht), 1882 - Order [Cyclopoida](/source/Cyclopoida) Burmeister, 1834 - Order [Gelyelloida](/source/Gelyelloida) Huys, 1988 - Order [Harpacticoida](/source/Harpacticoida) G. O. Sars, 1903 - Order [Misophrioida](/source/Misophrioida) Gurney, 1933 - Order [Monstrilloida](/source/Monstrilloida) Sars, 1901 - Order [Mormonilloida](/source/Mormonilloida) Boxshall, 1979 - Order [Polyarthra](/source/Polyarthra_(crustacean)) Lang, 1944 (=[Canuelloida](/source/Canuelloida) Khodami, Vaun MacArthur, Blanco-Bercial & Martinez Arbizu, 2017 ) - Order [Siphonostomatoida](/source/Siphonostomatoida) Thorell, 1859 - Infraclass [Progymnoplea](/source/Progymnoplea) Lang, 1948 - Order [Platycopioida](/source/Platycopioida) Fosshagen, 1985 - Class [Thecostraca](/source/Thecostraca) Gruvel, 1905[7][a] - Subclass [Ascothoracida](/source/Ascothoracida) Lacaze-Duthiers, 1880 - Order [Dendrogastrida](/source/Dendrogastrida) Grygier, 1987 - Order [Laurida](/source/Laurida) Grygier, 1987 - Subclass [Cirripedia](/source/Cirripedia) Burmeister, 1834 - Infraclass [Acrothoracica](/source/Acrothoracica) Gruvel, 1905 - Order [Cryptophialida](/source/Cryptophialida) Kolbasov, Newman & Hoeg, 2009 - Order [Lithoglyptida](/source/Lithoglyptida) Kolbasov, Newman & Hoeg, 2009 - Infraclass [Rhizocephala](/source/Rhizocephala) Müller, 1862 - Infraclass [Thoracica](/source/Thoracica) Darwin, 1854 - Superorder [Phosphatothoracica](/source/Phosphatothoracica) Gale, 2019 - Order [Iblomorpha](/source/Iblomorpha) Buckeridge & Newman, 2006 - †Order [Eolepadomorpha](/source/Eolepadomorpha) Chan et al., 2021 - Superorder [Thoracicalcarea](/source/Thoracicalcarea) Gale, 2015 - Order [Balanomorpha](/source/Balanomorpha) Pilsbry, 1916 - Order [Calanticomorpha](/source/Calanticomorpha) Chan et al., 2021 - Order [Pollicipedomorpha](/source/Pollicipedomorpha) Chan et al., 2021 - Order [Scalpellomorpha](/source/Scalpellomorpha) Buckeridge & Newman, 2006 - Order [Verrucomorpha](/source/Verrucomorpha) Pilsbry, 1916 - †Order [Archaeolepadomorpha](/source/Archaeolepadomorpha) Chan et al., 2021 - †Order [Brachylepadomorpha](/source/Brachylepadomorpha) Withers, 1923 - Subclass [Facetotecta](/source/Facetotecta) Grygier, 1985 - Class [Tantulocarida](/source/Tantulocarida) Boxshall & Lincoln, 1983 - Family [Basipodellidae](/source/Basipodellidae) Boxshall & Lincoln, 1983 - Family [Cumoniscidae](/source/Cumoniscidae) Nierstrasz & Brender à Brandis, 1923 (=[Deoterthridae](/source/Deoterthridae) Boxshall & Lincoln, 1987) - Family [Doryphallophoridae](/source/Doryphallophoridae) Huys, 1991 - Family [Microdajidae](/source/Microdajidae) Boxshall & Lincoln, 1987 - Family [Onceroxenidae](/source/Onceroxenidae) Huys, 1991 - Class [Malacostraca](/source/Malacostraca) Latreille, 1802 - Subclass [Eumalacostraca](/source/Eumalacostraca) Grobben, 1892 - Superorder [Eucarida](/source/Eucarida) Calman, 1904 - Order [Decapoda](/source/Decapoda) Latreille, 1802 – [crabs](/source/Crab), [lobsters](/source/Lobster), [crayfish](/source/Crayfish), [shrimp](/source/Caridea) and [prawns](/source/Dendrobranchiata) (includes former order Order [Amphionidacea](/source/Amphionidacea) Williamson, 1973) - Order [Euphausiacea](/source/Euphausiacea) Dana, 1852 – [krill](/source/Krill) - Superorder [Peracarida](/source/Peracarida) Calman, 1904 - Order [Amphipoda](/source/Amphipoda) Latreille, 1816 – amphipods - Order [Bochusacea](/source/Bochusacea) Gutu & Iliffe, 1998 - Order [Cumacea](/source/Cumacea) Krøyer, 1846 – comma shrimp - Order [Ingolfiellida](/source/Ingolfiellida) Hansen, 1903 - Order [Isopoda](/source/Isopoda) Latreille, 1817 – isopods (including clover) - Order [Lophogastrida](/source/Lophogastrida) Sars, 1870 – lophogastrids - Order [Mictacea](/source/Mictacea) Bowman, Garner, Hessler, Iliffe & Sanders, 1985 – mictaceams - Order [Mysida](/source/Mysida) Haworth, 1825 – mysids - †Order [Pygocephalomorpha](/source/Pygocephalomorpha) - Order [Spelaeogriphacea](/source/Spelaeogriphacea) Gordon, 1957 – spelaeogriphaceans - Order [Stygiomysida](/source/Stygiomysida) Tchindonova, 1981 – stygiomysids - Order [Tanaidacea](/source/Tanaidacea) Dana, 1849 – tanaids - Order [Thermosbaenacea](/source/Thermosbaenacea) Monod, 1927 – thermosbaenaceae - Superorder [Syncarida](/source/Syncarida) Packard, 1879 - Order [Anaspidacea](/source/Anaspidacea) Calman, 1904 - Order [Bathynellacea](/source/Bathynellacea) Chappuis, 1915 - †Order [Palaeocaridacea](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Palaeocaridacea&action=edit&redlink=1) Brooks, 1962 - Subclass [Hoplocarida](/source/Hoplocarida) Calman, 1904 - Order [Stomatopoda](/source/Stomatopoda) Latreille, 1817 – mantis shrimp - Subclass [Phyllocarida](/source/Phyllocarida) Packard, 1879 - †Order [Archaeostraca](/source/Archaeostraca) Claus, 1888 - †Order [Canadaspidida](/source/Canadaspidida) Novozhilov, 1960 - †Order [Hoplostraca](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hoplostraca&action=edit&redlink=1) Schram, 1973 - †Order [Hymenostraca](/source/Hymenostraca) Rolfe, 1969 - Order [Leptostraca](/source/Leptostraca) Claus, 1880 - †Genus *[Nothozoe](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nothozoe&action=edit&redlink=1)* Barrande, 1872 - *Incertae sedis* - †Order [Cyclida](/source/Cyclida)[8] - †Order [Thylacocephala](/source/Thylacocephala)[8]

Notes:

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Hexanauplia_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Hexanauplia_7-1) Class [Hexanauplia](/source/Hexanauplia) Oakley, Wolfe, Lindgren & Zaharof, 2013 was proposed for copepods and thecopods, but not supported by subsequent studies.[6]

## Fossil record

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding missing information. (December 2023)

The earliest fossils representative of Multicrustacea are from the [Cambrian](/source/Cambrian).[9] However, the more specific timeline is uncertain. Some Cambrian fossils of uncertain taxonomic placement, such as those of *[Priscansermarinus](/source/Priscansermarinus)*, are nonetheless likely to be members of Multicrustacea.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

## Image gallery

		- [Copepod](/source/Copepod)

		- Sacculina *[Sacculina carcini](/source/Sacculina_carcini)* ([Rhizocephala](/source/Rhizocephala)) parasite of a crab.

		- Anew Lepas anatifera ([Lepadiformes](/source/Lepadiformes))

		- Balth *[Chthamalus stellatus](/source/Chthamalus_stellatus)* ([Sessilia](/source/Sessilia))

		- Inch-foot *[Pollicipes polymerus](/source/Pollicipes_polymerus)* ([Scalpelliformes](/source/Scalpelliformes))

		- *[Amphionides reynaudii](/source/Amphionides_reynaudii)*, the unique [Amphionidacea](/source/Amphionidacea) known.

		- Crab *[Cancer bellianus](/source/Cancer_bellianus)* ([Eucarida](/source/Eucarida))

		- Antarctic Krill *[Euphausia superba](/source/Euphausia_superba)* ([Euphausiacea](/source/Euphausiacea))

		- *[Atylus swammerdami](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Atylus_swammerdami&action=edit&redlink=1)* ([Amphipoda](/source/Amphipoda))

		- *[Diastylis bradyi](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Diastylis_bradyi&action=edit&redlink=1)* ([Cumacea](/source/Cumacea))

		- *[Bathynomus doederleinii](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bathynomus_doederleinii&action=edit&redlink=1)* ([Isopoda](/source/Isopoda))

		- *[Gnathophausia zoea](/source/Gnathophausia_zoea)* ([Lophogastrida](/source/Lophogastrida))

		- *[Mictocaris halope](/source/Mictocaris_halope)* ([Mictacea](/source/Mictacea))

		- *[Gastrosaccus spinifer](/source/Gastrosaccus_spinifer)* ([Mysida](/source/Mysida))

		- *[Tanaissus lilljeborgi](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tanaissus_lilljeborgi&action=edit&redlink=1)* ([Tanaidacea](/source/Tanaidacea))

		- *[Tethysbaena ophelicola](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tethysbaena_ophelicola&action=edit&redlink=1)* ([Thermosbaenacea](/source/Thermosbaenacea))

		- *[Koonunga cursor](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Koonunga_cursor&action=edit&redlink=1)* ([Anaspidacea](/source/Anaspidacea))

		- *[Odontodactylus scyllarus](/source/Odontodactylus_scyllarus)* ([Stomatopoda](/source/Stomatopoda))

		- *[Nebalia bipes](/source/Nebalia_bipes)* ([Leptostraca](/source/Leptostraca))

## Taxonomic references

- [World Register of Marine Species](/source/World_Register_of_Marine_Species) : [taxon *Multicrustacea* Regier Shultz Zwick Hussey, Ball, Wetzer, Martin & Cunningham, 2010](http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=845959) ( [+ class list](http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxlist&rComp==&tRank=60&vOnly=yes&marine=no&pid=845959) [+ orders list](http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxlist&rComp==&tRank=100&vOnly=yes&marine=no&pid=845959))

- [Tree of Life Web Project](http://tolweb.org/tree/phylogeny.html) : [*Multicrustacea*](http://tolweb.org/Multicrustacea)

- [Animal Diversity Web](/source/Animal_Diversity_Web) : [Multicrustacea](http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Multicrustacea/)[*[permanent dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*]

- [Catalog of Life](/source/Catalogue_of_Life) : [*Multicrustacea*](http://www.catalogueoflife.org/col/search/all/key/Multicrustacea/match/1)

- [IUCN](/source/Union_internationale_pour_la_conservation_de_la_nature) : [taxon *Multicrustacea*](http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/search/quick?x=0&y=0&species=true&subspecies=true&stocks=false&text=Multicrustacea)

## Notes and references

1. [↑](#cite_ref-WRMS13_avril_2016_1-0) [World Register of Marine Species, accessed 13 April 2016](#WRMS)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Regier2005_1-0)** J. C. Regier; J. W. Shultz; R. E. Kambic (22 February 2005). ["Pancrustacean phylogeny: hexapods are terrestrial crustaceans and maxillopods are not monophyletic"](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1634985). *[Proceedings of the Royal Society B](/source/Proceedings_of_the_Royal_Society_B)*. **272** (1561): 395–401. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1098/rspb.2004.2917](https://doi.org/10.1098%2Frspb.2004.2917). [PMC](/source/PMC_(identifier)) [1634985](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1634985). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [15734694](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15734694).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Regier2010_2-0)** Jerome C. Regier; Jeffrey W. Shultz; Andreas Zwick; April Hussey; Bernard Ball; Regina Wetzer; Joel W. Martin; Clifford W. Cunningham (25 February 2010). "Arthropod relationships revealed by phylogenomic analysis of nuclear protein-coding sequences". *[Nature](/source/Nature_(journal))*. **463** (7284): 1079–1083. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2010Natur.463.1079R](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2010Natur.463.1079R). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1038/nature08742](https://doi.org/10.1038%2Fnature08742). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [20147900](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20147900). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [4427443](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:4427443).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-von_Reumont2012_3-0)** Bjoern M. von Reumont; Ronald A. Jenner; Matthew A. Wills; Emiliano Dell'Ampio; Günther Pass; Ingo Ebersberger; Benjamin Meyer; Stefan Koenemann; Thomas M. Iliffe; Alexandros Stamatakis; Oliver Niehuis; Karen Meusemann; Bernhard Misof (March 2012). ["Pancrustacean phylogeny in the light of new phylogenomic data: support for Remipedia as the possible sister group of Hexapoda"](https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fmolbev%2Fmsr270). *[Molecular Biology and Evolution](/source/Molecular_Biology_and_Evolution)*. **29** (3): 1031–1045. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1093/molbev/msr270](https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fmolbev%2Fmsr270). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [22049065](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22049065).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Oakley2013_4-0)** Todd H. Oakley; Joanna M. Wolfe; Annie R. Lindgren; Alexander K. Zaharoff (January 2013). ["Phylotranscriptomics to bring the understudied into the fold: monophyletic ostracoda, fossil placement, and pancrustacean phylogeny"](https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fmolbev%2Fmss216). *[Molecular Biology and Evolution](/source/Molecular_Biology_and_Evolution)*. **30** (1): 215–233. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1093/molbev/mss216](https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fmolbev%2Fmss216). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [22977117](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22977117).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** WoRMS. ["Multicrustacea"](http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=845959). *[World Register of Marine Species](/source/World_Register_of_Marine_Species)*. Retrieved 14 December 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** WoRMS. ["Hexanauplia"](http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=889925). *[World Register of Marine Species](/source/World_Register_of_Marine_Species)*. Retrieved 14 December 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-worms2021_8-0)** ["World Register of Marine Species, Class Thecostraca"](http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=22388). Retrieved 2021-08-24.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_9-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_9-1) Laville, Thomas; Forel, Marie-Béatrice; King, Andrew; Charbonnier, Sylvain (2025-11-01). ["Synchrotron X-ray tomography sheds light on the phylogenetic affinities of the enigmatic thylacocephalans within Pancrustacea"](https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2025.1612). *Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences*. **292**.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Collette, Joseph H.; Hagadorn, James W. (2010). "Early evolution of phyllocarid arthropods: phylogeny and systematics of Cambrian–Devonian archaeostracans". *[Journal of Paleontology](/source/Journal_of_Paleontology)*. **84** (5): 795–820. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2010JPal...84..795C](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2010JPal...84..795C). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1666/09-092.1](https://doi.org/10.1666%2F09-092.1). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [85074218](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:85074218).

v t e Extant Arthropoda classes by subphylum Kingdom Animalia Subkingdom Eumetazoa Clade Bilateria Clade Protostomia Superphylum Ecdysozoa Chelicerata Pycnogonida (sea spiders) Euchelicerata Xiphosura (horseshoe crabs) Arachnida (spiders, scorpions, ticks, mites) Mandibulata Myriapoda Chilopoda (centipedes) Symphyla Pauropoda Diplopoda (millipedes) Pancrustacea Crustacea Ostracoda (seed shrimps) Mystacocarida Pentastomida (tongue worms) Branchiura (fish lice) Malacostraca (woodlice, shrimps, crayfish, lobsters, crabs) Thecostraca (barnacles and relatives) Copepoda Tantulocarida Cephalocarida (horseshoe shrimps) Branchiopoda (fairy, tadpole, clam shrimps, water fleas) Remipedia Hexapoda Entognatha Protura (coneheads) Collembola (springtails) Diplura (two-pronged bristletails) Insecta (insects) italic are paraphyletic groups

Taxon identifiers Multicrustacea Wikidata: Q11937877 Wikispecies: Multicrustacea ADW: Multicrustacea AFD: MULTICRUSTACEA iNaturalist: 473790 NCBI: 2172821 Open Tree of Life: 5680805 WoRMS: 845959

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Multicrustacea](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multicrustacea) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multicrustacea?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.