Paracalanidae is a
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
of Calanoid
copepods, consisting of the following genera:
*''
Acrocalanus''
Giesbrecht, 1888
*''
Bestiolina''
Andronov, 1991
*''
Delibus''
Vives & Shmelava, 2007
*''
Paracalanus''
Boeck, 1865
*''
Parvocalanus''
Andronov, 1970
*''
Pseudoparacalanus''
Robinson, 1948
''Parvocalanus'' is one of the smallest of the calanoid genera, and ''P. crassirostris'' is thought to be the smallest described calanoid (male prosome = 0.7 mm). Two species, ''P. crassirostris'' and ''P. brevispinis'', are common. The former is a widely distributed subtropical species that feeds largely on small flagellate phytoplankton. Although a subtropical species might be expected to flourish in summer, external factors such as predation can produce anomalous patterns of abundance. For example, in Long Island Sound the species does not reach its peak of abundance until October, when the disappearance of ctenophores relieves predation pressure
[T.D. Johnson. 1987. Growth and regulation of a population of Parvocalanus crassirostris (Copepoda:Calanoida) in Long Island Sound, New York. Ph.D. Diss, SUNY Stony Brook.] ''P. crassirostris'' is widely used as fish food in the aquaculture and aquarium industries, being relatively easy to maintain in culture.
References
Calanoida
Crustacean families
{{Calanoida-stub