| Dendrogastrida | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Dendrogaster sp. | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Thecostraca |
| Subclass: | Ascothoracida |
| Order: | Dendrogastrida |
Dendrogastrida is an order of crustaceans belonging to the class Maxillopoda. [1]
Families: [1]
Ascothoracida is a small group of parasitic marine crustaceans, comprising around 100 species and divided into Dendrogastrida and Laurida. They are found throughout the world on cnidarians and echinoderms. Dendrogastrida are parasites on echinoderms, and Laurida are parasites on cnidarians, except from the species Waginella Grygier, which is also a parasite on echinoderms (crinoids). Piercing and sucking mouthparts are used for feeding, and more advanced forms also absorbs nutrients through a modified integument of the carapace. More basal forms are ectoparasitic, but most genera are meso- and endoparasitic. The sexes are separate, except from secondary hermaphroditic species of the Petrarcidae. In many species the larger female often have smaller males living inside her mantle cavity.
The clade Multicrustacea constitutes the largest superclass of crustaceans, containing approximately four-fifths of all described non-hexapod crustacean species, including crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill, prawns, woodlice, barnacles, copepods, amphipods, mantis shrimp and others. The largest branch of multicrustacea is the class Malacostraca.
Ascothoracidae is a family of crustaceans belonging to the order Dendrogastrida.
Dendrogastridae is a family of crustaceans belonging to the order Dendrogastrida.
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