Copepods: Aetideidae of the World Ocean - World Biodiversity Database CD-ROM Series

Principal literature references are also included. The Aetideidae are an important family of the Calanoida that form an order of the Copepoda (Crustacea). Most calanoids are free living and marine, though some groups are restricted to freshwater.

The majority of species are planktonic, but some live on, or close to, the ocean floor. They represent the dominant group within the organisms that make up the marine zooplankton, and form a very important link in the food chain of the aquatic environment. The family Aetideidae occurs in all vertical ranges of the marine pelagic zone and also inhabits the hyperbenthic environment.

In order to obtain comprehensive information on the geographical distribution of the presented cosmopolitan calanoid family, the present program was based on material from numerous localities in the world's oceans. The work was performed primarily at the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (St Petersburg), using the museum's collections. The Expert Center for Taxonomic Identification (ETI) is a Non-governmental Organisation (NGO) in operational relation with UNESCO, dedicated to the production of scientific and educational computer software for the preservation of knowledge concerning the worlds plants and animals.

ETI is supported by The Netherlands Government, the University of Amsterdam, UNESCO, and other international organisations. It cooperates with major scientific institutes around the world.