Data from: The shrimp superfamily Sergestoidea: a global phylogeny with definition of new families and an assessment of the pathways into principal biotopes

The phylogenetic analysis of Sergestoidea based on 253 morphological characters and encompassing all 99 valid species confirmed all previously recognized genus-level clades. Analysis retrieved five major robust clades, which correspond to families Luciferidae, Sergestidae, Acetidae fam.n., Sicyonellidae fam.n., and Petalidiumidae fam.n. Synonymy, emended diagnoses, and composition of revealed family-level clades were provided. Three types of morphological characters were important in phylogeny of Sergestoidea: general external characters, copulatory organs, and photophores. Novel metrics to quantify the contribution of these character types were tested. General external characters were significant in a support of the major clades (80 % families and nearly half of genera). Copulatory characters and photophores greatly supported the medium-level clades: Lucifer, Belzebub, Petalidium, Neosergestes, Challengerosergia (copulatory characters) and Lucensosergia, Challengerosergia, Gardinerosergia, Phorcosergia (photophores). An evolutionary model of Sergestoidea showing their pathways into their principal biotopes is proposed: the major clades evolved in a vertical direction (from epi- to bathypelagic); further divergence at the genus level occurred within a vertical zone in horizontal direction, with the invasion of the benthopelagic and neritic (shelf and estuarine) habitats and speciation within these domains.