Family MIRACIIDAE Dana, 1846

Museums

Regional Maps

• Miraciidae Dana, J.D. 1846. Notice of some genera of Cyclopacea. American Journal of Science 1(2): 225-230 [229].

  Type genus:

   Miracia Dana, 1846.

  Secondary source:

   Lang, K. 1948. Monographie der Harpacticiden. Lund, Sweden : Håkan Ohlssons Boktrycheri 1682 pp. [766]; Boxshall, G.A. & Halsey, S.H. 2004. An Introduction to Copepod Diversity. London : The Ray Society 966 pp. [339].
• Diosaccidae Sars, G.O. 1906. Copepoda Harpacticoida. Parts XV & XVI. Diosaccidae (concluded), Canthocamptidae (part). 173 in Sars, G.O. (ed.). An Account of the Crustacea of Norway, with short descriptions and figures of all the species. Bergen : Bergen Museum Vol. V 489 pp. [144].

  Secondary source:

   Lang, K. 1948. Monographie der Harpacticiden. Lund, Sweden : Håkan Ohlssons Boktrycheri 1682 pp. [592].

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Willen, E. 2000. Phylogeny of the Thalestridimorpha Lang, 1944 (Crustacea, Copepoda). Gottingen : Cuvillier Verlag pp. 1-223.
• Willen, E. 2002. Notes on the systematic position of the Stenheliinae (Copepoda, Harpacticoida) within the Thalestridimorpha and descriptions of two new species from Motupore Island, Papua New Guinea. Cahiers de Biologie Marine 43: 27-42

Introduction

Prior to 2002 the Miraciidae were a small family consisting of only four marine planktonic species (Boxshall & Halsey 2004). However, in 2000 Willen undertook a preliminary analysis of the thalestridimorph copepods and identified the miraciids as a terminal clade within the Diosaccidae. In 2002, Willen formally proposed that all genera of Miraciidae, together with the genera formally placed in the Diosaccidae, be combined under the family name Miraciidae, which has priority (Boxshall & Halsey 2004).

Currently, 11 genera and 20 species are recorded for the Australian fauna.

ID Keys

See Boxshall & Halsey (2004).

Diagnosis References

Boxshall, G.A. & Halsey, S.H. 2004. An Introduction to Copepod Diversity. London : The Ray Society 966 pp. [339]

General References

Boxshall, G.A. & Halsey, S.H. 2004. An Introduction to Copepod Diversity. London : The Ray Society 966 pp.

Willen, E. 2000. Phylogeny of the Thalestridimorpha Lang, 1944 (Crustacea, Copepoda). Gottingen : Cuvillier Verlag pp. 1-223.

Willen, E. 2002. Notes on the systematic position of the Stenheliinae (Copepoda, Harpacticoida) within the Thalestridimorpha and descriptions of two new species from Motupore Island, Papua New Guinea. Cahiers de Biologie Marine 43: 27-42

History of changes