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Family
In biological classification, family (Latin: familia) is
What does and does not belong to each family is determined by a taxonomist. Similarly for the question if a particular family should be recognized at all. Often there is no exact agreement, with different taxonomists each taking a different...
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Asteraceae
The family Asteraceae or Compositae (known as the aster, daisy, or sunflower family) is the second largest family of flowering plants, in terms of number of species.
The name Asteraceae is derived from the type genus Aster, while Compositae, an...
Scientific name:
- Asteraceae
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 35420
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 4210
Apiaceae
The Apiaceae or Umbelliferae (both names are allowed by the ICBN) is a family of usually aromatic plants with hollow stems, commonly known as umbellifers. It includes cumin, parsley, anise, carrot, coriander/cilantro, dill, caraway, fennel, parsnip,...
Scientific name:
- Apiaceae
Synonym scientific name:
- Umbelliferae
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 500042
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 4037
Higher classification:
Alligatoridae
Alligators and caimans are archosaurs, species of crocodilians and form the family Alligatoridae (sometimes regarded instead as the subfamily Alligatorinae).
Alligators proper occur in the fluvial deposits of the age of the Upper Chalk in Europe,...
Scientific name:
- Alligatoridae
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 174365
Higher classification:
Sialidae
Alderflies are megalopteran insects of the family Sialidae. They are closely related to the dobsonflies and fishflies as well as to the prehistoric Euchauliodidae. All living alderflies - about 66 species altogether - are part of the subfamily...
Scientific name:
- Sialidae
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 115001
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 50606
Higher classification:
Ant
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae (pronounced /fɔrˈmɪsəˌdiː/), and along with the related wasps and bees, they belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130...
Scientific name:
- Formicidae
Lower classifications:
View entire collection »ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 154193
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 36668
Higher classification:
Brassicaceae
Brassicaceae or Cruciferae, also known as the crucifers, the mustard family or cabbage family is a family of flowering plants (Angiospermae). The name Brassicaceae is derived from the included genus Brassica. Cruciferae is an older name, meaning ...
Higher classification:
Bear
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a...
Scientific name:
- Ursidae
Organisms of this type:
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 180540
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 9632
Higher classification:
Cheirogaleidae
Cheirogaleidae is the family of strepsirrhine primates that contains the various dwarf and mouse lemurs. Like all other lemurs, cheirogaleids live exclusively on the island of Madagascar.
Cheirogaleids are smaller than the other lemurs and, in fact,...
Scientific name:
- Cheirogaleidae
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 572766
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 30615
Higher classification:
Cebidae
The Cebidae is one of the five families of New World monkeys now recognised. It includes the capuchin monkeys and squirrel monkeys. These species are found throughout tropical and subtropical South and Central America.
Cebid monkeys are arboreal...
Scientific name:
- Cebidae
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 180093
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 9498
Higher classification:
Cucurbitaceae
Cucurbitaceae is a plant family commonly known as melons, gourds or cucurbits and includes crops like cucumbers, squashes (including pumpkins), luffas, melons and watermelons. The family is predominantly distributed around the tropics, where those...
Scientific name:
- Cucurbitaceae
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 22337
Canidae
Canidae (pronounced /ˈkænɨdiː/) is the biological family of carnivorous and omnivorous mammals that includes the wolves, foxes, jackals, coyotes, and the domestic dog; a member of this family is called a canid (/ˈkeɪnɨd/). The Canidae family is...
Scientific name:
- Canidae
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 180594
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 9608
Higher classification:
Cyprinid
The family Cyprinidae, from the Ancient Greek kyprînos (κυπρῖνος, "carp"), consists of the carps, the true minnows, and their relatives (e.g. the barbs and barbels). Commonly called the carp family or the minnow family, its members are also known as...
Scientific name:
- Cyprinidae
Lower classifications:
View entire collection »ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 163342
Higher classification:
Cactus
A cactus (plural: cactuses, cacti) is any member of the plant family Cactaceae, native to the Americas (with one exception, Rhipsalis baccifera, which is native to parts of the Old World). They are often used as ornamental plants, and some are also...
Scientific name:
- Cactaceae
Lower classifications:
Higher classification:
Ericaceae
Ericaceae, the heath family or the heather family is a plant family, comprising mostly calcifuge (lime-hating) plants that thrive in acidic soils. Many well-known plants of the Ericaceae live in temperate climates, such as cranberry, blueberry,...
Scientific name:
- Ericaceae
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 23463
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 4345
Higher classification:
Equidae
Equidae (sometimes known as the horse family) is the taxonomic family of horses and related animals, including the extant horses, donkeys, and zebras, and many other species known only from fossils. All extant species are in the genus Equus. Equidae...
Scientific name:
- Equidae
Lower classifications:
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 180688
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 9788
Higher classification:
Enterobacteriaceae
The Enterobacteriaceae are a large family of bacteria, including many of the more familiar pathogens, such as Salmonella and Escherichia coli. Genetic studies place them among the Proteobacteria, and they are given their own order (Enterobacteriales...
Scientific name:
- Enterobacteriaceae
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 245
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 543
Higher classification:
Earless seal
The true seals or earless seals are one of the three main groups of mammals within the seal suborder, Pinnipedia. All true seals are members of the family Phocidae (pronounced /ˈfoʊsədiː/). They are sometimes called crawling seals to distinguish...
Scientific name:
- Phocidae
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 180640
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 9709
Higher classification:
Felidae
Felidae is the biological family of the cats; a member of this family is called a felid or feline. Felids are the strictest carnivores of the sixteen mammal families in the order Carnivora. The most familiar felid is the domestic cat, which first...
Scientific name:
- Felidae
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 180580
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 9681
Higher classification:
Finch
The true finches are passerine birds in the family Fringillidae. They are predominantly seed-eating songbirds. Most are native to Southern Hemisphere, but one subfamily is endemic to the Neotropics, one to the Hawaiian Islands, and one subfamily –...
Scientific name:
- Fringillidae
Lower classifications:
View entire collection »ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 179122
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 9133
Higher classification:
Gecko
Geckos are small to average sized lizards belonging to the family Gekkonidae, found in warm climates throughout the world. Geckos are unique among lizards in their vocalizations, making chirping sounds in social interactions with other geckos. An...
Scientific name:
- Gekkonidae
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 174034
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 8561
Higher classification:
Hyena
The Hyaenidae (pronounced /haɪˈɛnɨdiː/) is a mammalian family of order Carnivora. The Hyaenidae family, native to both African and Asian continents, consists of four living species, the Striped Hyena and Brown Hyena (genus Hyaena), the Spotted Hyena...
Scientific name:
- Hyaenidae
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 621756
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 9676
Higher classification:
Hominidae
The Hominidae (anglicized Hominids, also known as great apes) form a taxonomic family, including four extant genera: chimpanzees, gorillas, humans and orangutans.
A number of known extinct genera are grouped with humans in the Hominina subtribe,...
Scientific name:
- Hominidae
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 180090
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 9604
Higher classification:
Indriidae
The Indridae (also spelled Indriidae) are a family of strepsirrhine primates. They are medium to large sized lemurs with only four teeth in the toothcomb instead of the usual six. Indriids, like all lemurs, live exclusively on the island of...
Scientific name:
- Indriidae
Higher classification:
Tettigoniidae
The family Tettigoniidae, known in American English as katydids and in British English as bush-crickets, contains more than 6,400 species. It is part of the suborder Ensifera and the only family in the superfamily Tettigonioidea. They are also known...
Scientific name:
- Tettigoniidae
Lower classifications:
View entire collection »ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 102232
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 62784
Higher classification:
Lamiaceae
Lamiaceae or Labiatae, also known as the mint family, is a family of plants. It has been considered closely related to Verbenaceae but several recent phylogenetic studies have shown that numerous genera classified in Verbenaceae belong instead in...
Scientific name:
- Lamiaceae
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 32251
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 4136
Higher classification:
Lemuridae
Lemuridae is a family of prosimian primates native to Madagascar, and one of five families commonly known as lemurs. These animals were thought to be the evolutionary predecessors of monkeys and apes, but this is no longer considered correct. The...
Scientific name:
- Lemuridae
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 572767
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 9445
Higher classification:
Mustelidae
Mustelidae or Mustelids (from Latin mustela, weasel), commonly referred to as the weasel family, is a family of carnivorous mammals. The Mustelidae is a diverse family and the largest in the order Carnivora, at least partly because it has in the...
Scientific name:
- Mustelidae
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 180545
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 9655
Higher classification:
Orchidaceae
Orchidaceae, the Orchid family, is the largest family of the flowering plants (Angiospermae). Its name is derived from the genus Orchis.
The Royal Botanical Gardens of Kew list 880 genera and nearly 22,000 accepted species, but the exact number is...
Scientific name:
- Orchidaceae
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 43397
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 4747
Higher classification:
Python family
The Pythonidae, commonly known simply as pythons, are a family of non-venomous snakes found in Africa, Asia and Australia. Among its members are some of the largest snakes in the world. Eight genera and 26 species are currently recognized.
Found in...
Scientific name:
- Pythonidae
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 563893
Higher classification:
Polygonaceae
Polygonaceae is a family of flowering plants also known as the "knotweed family" or "smartweed family". The name is based on the genus Polygonum. Some well known members include Fagopyrum (buckwheat), Rumex (sorrel), Rheum (rhubarb), and Polygonum ...
Scientific name:
- Polygonaceae
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 20842
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 3615
Pufferfish
Tetraodontidae is a family of primarily marine and estuarine fish. The family includes many familiar species which are variously called puffers, balloonfish, blowfish, bubblefish, globefish, swellfish, toadfish, toadies, honey toads, and sea squab....
Scientific name:
- Tetraodontidae
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 173283
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 31031
Penguin
Spheniscidae is the main biological family in the Penguin order.
Scientific name:
- Spheniscidae
Lower classifications:
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 174443
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 9231
Higher classification:
Porcupinefish
Porcupinefish are fish of the family Diodontidae, (order Tetraodontiformes), also commonly called blowfish (and, sometimes, "balloonfish" and "globefish").
They are sometimes confused with pufferfish. Porcupinefish are closely related to...
Scientific name:
- Diodontidae
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 173382
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 31034
Poeciliidae
Poeciliidae is a family of fresh-water fish which are live-bearing aquarium fish (they give birth to live young). They belong to the order Cyprinodontiformes, tooth-carps, and include well-known aquarium fish like the guppy, molly, platy, and...
Scientific name:
- Poeciliidae
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 165876
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 8079
Rosaceae
The Rosaceae or rose family is a large family of plants, with about 3000 species in 100 genera (according to the Kew Royal Botanical Gardens). The name is derived from the genus Rosa. The largest genera are Sorbus, Crataegus and Cotoneaster (more or...
Scientific name:
- Rosaceae
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 24538
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 3745
Higher classification:
Retrovirus
A retrovirus is an RNA virus that is replicated in a host cell via the enzyme reverse transcriptase to produce DNA from its RNA genome. The DNA is then incorporated into the host's genome by an integrase enzyme. The virus thereafter replicates as...
Scientific name:
- Retroviridae
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 11632
Solanaceae
Solanaceae is a family of flowering plants that contains a number of important agricultural plants as well as many toxic plants. The name of the family comes from the Latin Solanum "the nightshade plant", but the further etymology of that word is...
Scientific name:
- Solanaceae
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 30411
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 4070
Higher classification:
Great Lakes Smelts
Smelts – more precisely freshwater smelts or typical smelts to distinguish them from the related Argentinidae, Bathylagidae and Retropinnidae – are a family of small fish, Osmeridae, found in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. They are common in the...
Scientific name:
- Osmeridae
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 162028
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 8012
Sap beetle
The sap beetles are a family (Nitidulidae) of beetles.
They are small (2–6 mm) ovoid, usually dull-coloured beetles, with knobbed antennae. Some have red or yellow spots or bands. They feed mainly on decaying vegetable matter, over-ripe fruit, and...
Scientific name:
- Nitidulidae
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 114290
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 116151
Higher classification:
Shrike
Shrikes are passerine birds of the family Laniidae. The family is composed of thirty one species in three genera. The family name, and that of the largest genus, Lanius, is derived from the Latin word for "butcher", and some shrikes were also known...
Scientific name:
- Laniidae
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 178509
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 9193
Higher classification:
Toucan
Toucans are a family, Ramphastidae, of near-passerine birds from the neotropics (i.e. Southern Mexico, Central, South American, and Caribbean region). The family is most closely related to the American barbets. They are brightly marked and have...
Scientific name:
- Ramphastidae
Lower classifications:
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 178146
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 57381
Higher classification:
Vampyrellidae
The Vampyrellidae are a group of cercozoans with filose pseudopods and lacking shells. Vampyrella is typical of the group.
The term "Aconchulinida" is sometimes used for vampyrellid. It has been described as an order.
When free-floating, the cell is...
Scientific name:
- Vampyrellidae
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 43995
Higher classification:
Wombat
Wombats are Australian marsupials; they are short-legged, muscular quadrupeds, approximately 1 metre (39 in) in length with a very short tail. They are found in forested, mountainous, and heathland areas of south-eastern Australia and Tasmania. The...
Scientific name:
- Vombatidae
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 552320
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 9338
Higher classification:
Mosquito
Mosquito and mosqita (from the Spanish meaning little fly) is a common insect in the family Culicidae (from the Latin culex meaning midge or gnat). Mosquitoes resemble crane flies (family Tipulidae) and chironomid flies (family Chironomidae), with...
Scientific name:
- Culicidae
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 125930
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 7157
Higher classification:
Crocodile
A crocodile is any species belonging to the family Crocodylidae (sometimes classified instead as the subfamily Crocodylinae). The term can also be used more loosely to include all members of the order Crocodilia: i.e. the true crocodiles, the...
Scientific name:
- Crocodylidae
Lower classifications:
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 174359
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 8493
Higher classification:
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. They include for example Moose, Red Deer, Reindeer, Roe and Chital. Animals from related families within the order Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates) are often also considered to be deer –...
Scientific name:
- Cervidae
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 180693
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 9850
Higher classification:
Cricket
Crickets, family Gryllidae (also known as "true crickets"), are insects somewhat related to grasshoppers and more closely related to katydids or bush crickets (family Tettigoniidae). They have somewhat flattened bodies and long antennae. There are...
Scientific name:
- Gryllidae
Lower classifications:
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 102281
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 6995
Magnoliaceae
The Magnoliaceae, or Magnolia Family, is a flowering plant family in the order Magnoliales. It consists of two subfamilies:
Unlike most angiosperms, whose flower parts are in rings, the Magnoliaceae have their stamens and pistils in spirals on a...
Scientific name:
- Magnoliaceae
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 18068
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 3401
Higher classification:
Sea Lemon
Sea lemon is a loosely-applied common name for a group of medium-sized to large shell-less colorful sea slugs or nudibranchs, specifically dorid nudibranchs in the taxonomic family Dorididae and other closely related families. These are marine...
Scientific name:
- Dorididae
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 78206
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 146272
Higher classification:
Siboglinidae
Siboglinidae, also known as the beard worms, is a family of polychaete annelid worms whose members made up the former phyla Pogonophora (the giant tube worms) and Vestimentifera. They are composed of about 100 species of vermiform creatures and live...
Scientific name:
- Siboglinidae
Lower classifications:
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 154462
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 41324
Higher classification:
Meliaceae
The Meliaceae, or the Mahogany family, is a flowering plant family of mostly trees and shrubs (and a few herbaceous plants) in the order Sapindales,
They are characterised by alternate, usually pinnate leaves without stipules, and by syncarpous,...
Scientific name:
- Meliaceae
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 29008
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 43707
Higher classification:
Nightjar
Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal or crepuscular birds with long wings, short legs and very short bills. They are sometimes referred to as goatsuckers from the mistaken belief that they suck milk from goats (the Latin for goatsucker is...
Scientific name:
- Caprimulgidae
Lower classifications:
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 177958
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 48283
Higher classification:
Arecaceae
Arecaceae or Palmae (also known by the name Palmaceae, which is considered taxonomically invalid, or by the common name palm tree), the palm family, is a family of flowering plants, the only family in the monocot order Arecales. There are roughly...
Scientific name:
- Arecaceae
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 500043
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 4710
Higher classification:
Porpoise
Porpoises are small cetaceans of the family Phocoenidae; they are related to whales and dolphins. They are distinct from dolphins, although the word "porpoise" (pronounced /ˈpɔrpəs/) has been used to refer to any small dolphin, especially by sailors...
Scientific name:
- Phocoenidae
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 552307
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 9740
Higher classification:
Eared Seal
The eared seals or otariids are marine mammals in the family Otariidae, one of three groupings of Pinnipeds. They comprise 16 species in seven genera commonly known either as sea lions or fur seals, distinct from true seals (phocids) and the Walrus ...
Scientific name:
- Otariidae
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 180615
Higher classification:
Lobster
Clawed lobsters comprise a family (Nephropidae, sometimes also Homaridae) of large marine crustaceans. Lobsters are economically important as seafood, forming the basis of a global industry that nets more than US$1 billion annually.
Though several...
Scientific name:
- Nephropidae
Lower classifications:
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 97307
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 6704
Trogon
The trogons and quetzals are birds in the order Trogoniformes which contains only one family, the Trogonidae. The family contains 39 species in eight genera. The fossil record of the trogons dates back 49 million years to the mid-Eocene. They might...
Scientific name:
- Trogonidae
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 178094
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 56309
Higher classification:
Cannabaceae
Cannabaceae is a small family of flowering plants.
According to the Royal Botanical Gardens database, there are 170 species grouped in nine to fifteen genera, including three well-known genera Cannabis (hemp), Humulus (hops) and Celtis (hackberries)...
Scientific name:
- Cannabaceae
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 19118
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 3481
Catostomidae
Catostomidae is the sucker family of the order Cypriniformes. There are 80 species in this family of freshwater fishes. Catostomidae are found in North America, east central China, and eastern Siberia. They are not usually fished recreationally;...
Scientific name:
- Catostomidae
Lower classifications:
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 163892
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 7968
Higher classification:
Centrarchidae
The sunfishes are a family (Centrarchidae) of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the order Perciformes. The type genus is Centrarchus (consisting solely of the flier, C. macropterus). The family's 27 species includes many fishes familiar to...
Scientific name:
- Centrarchidae
ITIS Taxon S/N:
- 168093
NCBI Taxon ID:
- 8180
