Oikopleuridae

 ( Tunicate Families ) 

Oikopleuridae is a family of larvacean . A comparatively species-rich family, it has been especially well-researched thanks to the ubiquity of Oikopleura dioica as a model species. It comprises two subfamilies, Bathochordaeinae and Oikopleurinae, itself divided into the tribes Alabiata and Labiata.

It is believed to be sister to the clade formed by the two other families (Fritillariidae and Kowalevskiidae), united by common derived characteristics lacking in Oikopleuridae.

• Van der Land, J. (2001). Appendicularia, in: Costello, M.J. et al. (Ed.) (2001). European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels, 50: pp. 356
• Fenaux, R., Q. Bone, and D. Deibel. 1998. Appendicularian distribution and zoogeography, p. 251-264. In q. Bone ed., The biology of pelagic tunicates. Oxford University Press.