Ectinosomatidae

{{Short description|Family of crustaceans}}

{{Automatic taxobox

| image = Expl0453 - Flickr - NOAA Photo Library.jpg

| image_alt =

| image_caption = Microstella spp.

| taxon = Ectinosomatidae

| authority = G. O. Sars, 1903

| synonyms = Ectinosomidae

}}

Ectinosomatidae is a family of the Harpacticoida, a huge group of crustaceans belonging to the subclass Copepoda. Like most of their relatives, they are usually benthic inhabitants of marine environments. Ectinosomatidae commonly inhabit sediment and fragments of dead corals or glass sponges, and occasionally algae and bryozoans, in the deep oceans. In the epifaunal species, the first leg pair is often modified to allow the animals a better grip on the substrate.{{cite journal |author=Hendrik Gheerardyn, Sybille Seifried & Ann Vanreusel |year=2008 |title=A new species of Halophytophilus Brian, 1919 (Copepoda: Harpacticoida: Ectinosomatidae) from cold-water corals in the Porcupine Seabight (NE Atlantic) |journal=Zootaxa |volume=1761 |pages=1–16 |url=http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2008/f/z01761p016f.pdf |format=PDF abstract}}