Cylindroleberididae
Cylindroleberididae is a family of ostracods that shows remarkable morphological diversity. The defining feature is the possession of gills: 7–8 leaf-like pairs at the posterior of the body. Other features common to all species in the family include a "baleen-comb" on both the maxilla and the fifth limb, a sword-shaped coxal endite on the mandible, and the triaenid bristles on the basal endites of the mandible.
| Cylindroleberididae Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
| Ostracod | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Ostracoda |
| Order: | Myodocopida |
| Superfamily: | Cylindroleberidoidea Müller, 1906 |
| Family: | Cylindroleberididae Müller, 1906 |
| Subfamilies | |
| |
Species of the Cylindroleberididae are found in marine areas, from shallow waters to depths of more than 4,500 metres (14,800 ft). Most species are approximately 2 millimetres (0.08 in) long. In 2006, there were 219 described species.
A fossil discovered in 2003 with preserved soft parts has been assigned to the Cylindroleberididae. The fossil appears to have gills and is thought to date from 425 million years ago.