Gammaridae is a family

Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...

 of amphipods

Amphipoda

Amphipoda is an order of malacostracan crustaceans with no carapace and generally with laterally compressed bodies. The name amphipoda means "different-footed", and refers to the different forms of appendages, unlike isopods, where all the legs are alike. Of the 7,000 species, 5,500 are classified...

. In North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

 they are included among the folk taxonomic

Folk taxonomy

A folk taxonomy is a vernacular naming system, and can be contrasted with scientific taxonomy. Folk biological classification is the way peoples describe and organize their natural surroundings/the world around them, typically making generous use of form taxa like "shrubs", "bugs", "ducks",...

 category of "scuds

Scud (disambiguation)

Scud is the popularized term for a series of tactical ballistic missiles developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War.Scud may also refer to:*Scud - a shrimplike aquatic crustacean*SCUD - a disease found in turtles...

", and otherwise gammarids is usually used as a common name.

They have a wide distribution, centered on Eurasia

Eurasia

Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...

, and are euryhaline

Euryhaline

Euryhaline organisms are able to adapt to a wide range of salinities. An example of a euryhaline fish is the molly which can live in fresh, brackish, or salt water. The European shore crab is an example of a euryhaline invertebrate that can live in salt and brackish water...

 as a lineage, inhabiting fresh to marine waters.

Systematics

The Gammaridae were for a long time used as a "wastebin taxon

Wastebin taxon

Wastebasket taxon is a term used in some taxonomic circles to refer to a taxon that has the sole purpose of classifying organisms that do not fit anywhere else. They are typically defined by their lack of one or more distinct character states or by their not belonging to one or more other taxa...

" for numerous other genera of Gammaridea

Gammaridea

Gammaridea is a suborder of small, shrimp-like crustaceans in the order Amphipoda. It contains about 7,275 of the 7,900 described species of amphipods, in approximately 1,000 genera, divided among around 125 families. Gammaridea includes almost all freshwater amphipods , as well as many marine...

. these have now been removed to groups such as the Anisogammaridae

Anisogammaridae

Anisogammaridae is a family of small benthic amphipods.-Genera:*Anisogammarus*Barrowgammarus*Carineogammarus*Eogammarus*Eurypodogammarus*Fuxiana*Jesogammarus*Locustogammarus*Ramellogammarus*Spasskogammarus...

, Calliopiidae

Calliopiidae

Calliopiidae is a family of amphipods, containing the following genera:*Amphithopsis Boeck, 1861*Apherusa Walker, 1891*Bouvierella Chevreux, 1900*Calliopiella Schellenberg, 1925*Calliopiurus Bushueva, 1986...

, Melitidae

Melitidae

Melitidae is a family of amphipods. It contains around 45 genera, and formerly included a further 40 genera that are now placed in the family Maeridae.-Genera:*Abludomelita*Allomelita*Alsacomelita*Anchialella*Brachina...

, Niphargidae

Niphargidae

Niphargidae is a family of amphipods. It contains the following genera:*Carinurella Sket, 1971*Foroniphargus G. Karaman, 1985*Haploginglymus Mateus & Mateus, 1958*Microniphargus Schellenberg, 1934*Niphargellus Schellenberg, 1938...

, Pontoporeiidae

Pontoporeiidae

Pontoporeiidae is a family of amphipods, containing the following genera:*Amphiporeia Shoemaker, 1929*Bathyporeia Lindstrom, 1855*Monoporeia Bousfield, 1989*Pontoporeia Krøyer, 1842*Priscillina Stebbing, 1888...

 or Talitridae

Talitridae

Talitridae is a family of amphipods. Commonly, many of the North American fresh water species of this family are called scuds. Terrestrial species are often referred to as landhoppers and beach dwellers are called sandhoppers or sand fleas.It contains the following genera:*Africorchestia Lowry &...

.

The family contains the following genera:

• Akerogammarus Derzhavin & Pjatakova, 1967
• Albanogammarus Ruffo, 1995
• Amathillina G. O. Sars, 1894
• Axelboeckia Stebbing, 1899
• Baku Karaman & Barnard, 1979
• Cephalogammarus Karaman & Barnard, 1979
• Chaetogammarus Martynov, 1924
• Comatogammarus Stock, 1981
• Condiciogammarus G. Karaman, 1984
• Dershavinella Birstein, 1938
• Dikerogammarus
  Dikerogammarus
  Dikerogammarus is a genus of amphipod crustaceans, containing the following species:*Dikerogammarus aralychensis *Dikerogammarus batalonicus Ponyi, 1955*Dikerogammarus bispinosus Martynov, 1925...
  
  Stebbing, 1899
• Echinogammarus Stebbing, 1899
• Elasmopoides Stebbing, 1908
• Gammarus
  Gammarus
  Gammarus is an amphipod crustacean genus in the family Gammaridae. It contains more than 200 described species, making it one of the most speciose genera of crustaceans...
  
  Fabricius, 1775
• Gmelina G. O. Sars, 1894
• Gmelinoides Bazikalova, 1945
• Gmelinopsis G. O. Sars, 1896
• Ilvanella Vigna-Taglianti, 1971
• Jubeogammarus G. Karaman, 1984
• Jugogammarus S. Karaman, 1953
• Kuzmelina Karaman & Barnard, 1979
• Lanceogammarus Karaman & Barnard, 1979
• Laurogammarus G. Karaman, 1984
• Longigammarus G.S. Karaman, 1970
• Lunulogammarus Krapp-Schickel, Ruffo & Schiecke, 1994
• lusigammarus Barnard & Barnard, 1983
• Mallacoota Barnard, 1972
• Marinogammarus Sexton & Spooner, 1940
• Neogammarus Ruffo, 1937
• Obesogammarus Stock, 1974
• Pallasea Bate, 1862
• Pallasiola Barnard & Barnard, 1983
• Parelasmopus Stebbing, 1888
• Pectenogammarus Reid, 1940
• Rhipidogammarus Stock, 1971
• Sarothrogammarus Martynov, 1935
• Scytaelina Stock, Mirzajani, Vonk, Naderi & Kiabi, 1998
• Shablogammarus Carausu, Dobreanu & Manolache, 1955
• Sinogammarus Karaman & Ruffo, 1994
• Sowinskya Derzhavin, 1948
• Tadzhikistania Barnard & Barnard, 1983
• Tadzocrangonyx Karaman & Barnard, 1979
• Tyrrhenogammarus Karaman & Ruffo, 1989
• Yogmelina Karaman & Barnard, 1979