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Calanidae
Calanidae is the largest family of calanoid copepods, containing ecologically dominant genera including Calanus, potentially the most abundant metazoan genus on Earth. Members inhabit marine environments from surface waters to depths exceeding 400 m, with distributions spanning polar, temperate, and tropical oceans. The family exhibits significant vertical stratification and seasonal abundance patterns, with some species performing ontogenetic vertical migrations for overwintering. Calanidae species play critical roles in marine food webs as primary consumers and prey for fish and higher trophic levels.