Maxillata

Maxillata is a supercohort or clade of crustaceans within the Pancrustacea clade. It is characterized primarily by the presence of maxillules and maxillae as mouthparts, which are used for manipulating and processing food. Maxillata includes a diverse array of crustacean groups, including copepods, barnacles, ostracods, branchiopods, mystacocarids, and malacostracans (which include crabs, lobsters, shrimp, and isopods).

The exact phylogenetic relationships within Maxillata, and between Maxillata and other pancrustaceans, have been subject to debate and revision as new molecular and morphological data have become available. Historically, Maxillata was often contrasted with other major crustacean groups based on morphological differences, but molecular phylogenies have significantly refined our understanding of these relationships.

The Maxillata clade is significant due to its ecological diversity and importance. Its members occupy a wide range of habitats, from marine to freshwater to terrestrial environments, and play crucial roles in aquatic food webs, nutrient cycling, and other ecological processes. Many maxillatan crustaceans are also economically important, forming the basis of fisheries and aquaculture industries worldwide.