The Hyperiidea is one of the six suborders of amphipods, small aquatic crustaceans. Unlike some other suborders of Amphipoda, hyperiids are exclusively marine and do not occur in fresh water. Hyperiids are distinguished by their large eyes and planktonic habitat. Most species of hyperiids are parasites or predators of salps and jellyfish in the plankton, although a significant minority (~1/3 of genera) are free-swimming predators.
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Taxonomy According to World Amphipoda Database, 284 species of Hyperiidea are known in 2025.Statistics World Amphipoda Database. VLIZ (27.5.2025)
Some controversy exists as to the number of families in the Hyperiidea, being given as between 20 and 23 depending on whether groups like the Thaumatopsidae are considered distinct or not. The taxonomy of Hyperiidea currently accepted by the World Register of Marine Species is as follows:
Infraorder Physocephalata Bowman & Gruner, 1973 Parvorder Physocephalatidira Bowman & Gruner, 1973 Superfamily Phronimoidea Rafinesque, 1815 Family Bougisidae Zeidler, 2004 Family Cystisomatidae Willemöes-Suhm, 1875 Family Dairellidae Bovallius, 1887 Family Hyperiidae Dana, 1852 Family Iulopididae Zeidler, 2004 Family Lestrigonidae Zeidler, 2004 Family Phronimidae Rafinesque, 1815 Family Phrosinidae Dana, 1852 Superfamily Platysceloidea Spence Bate, 1862 Family Amphithyridae Zeidler, 2016 Family Anapronoidae Bowman & Gruner, 1973 Family Brachyscelidae Stephensen, 1923 Family Eupronoidae Zeidler, 2016 Family Lycaeidae Claus, 1879 Family Lycaeopsidae Chevreux, 1913 Family Oxycephalidae Dana, 1852 Family Parascelidae Bovallius, 1887 Family Platyscelidae Spence Bate, 1862 Family Pronoidae Dana, 1852 Family Thamneidae Zeidler, 2016 Family Tryphanidae Boeck, 1871 Superfamily Vibilioidea Dana, 1852 Family Cyllopodidae Bovallius, 1887 Family Paraphronimidae Bovallius, 1887 Family Vibiliidae Dana, 1852
Infraorder Physosomata Pirlot, 1929 Parvorder Physosomatidira Pirlot, 1929 Superfamily Lanceoloidea Bovallius, 1887 Family Chuneolidae Woltereck, 1909 Family Lanceolidae Bovallius, 1887 Family Megalanceolidae Zeidler, 2009 Family Metalanceolidae Zeidler, 2009 Family Microphasmidae Stephensen & Pirlot, 1931 Family Mimonecteolidae Zeidler, 2009 Family Prolanceolidae Zeidler, 2009 Superfamily Scinoidea Stebbing, 1888 Family Archaeoscinidae K. H. Barnard, 1930 Family Microscinidae Zeidler, 2012 Family Mimonectidae Bovallius, 1885 Family Mimoscinidae Zeidler, 2012 Family Scinidae Stebbing, 1888
Distribution Hyperiidea are known from many oceans of the world, including 69 species in the Southern Ocean.
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