Cirratuliformia includes Acrocirridae, Cirratulidae, Ctenodrilidae, Flabelligeridae, Flotidae and Sternaspidae. The phylogenetic affinities have not been settled due to a limited availability of type or non-type material and the relationship between acrocirrids and flabelligerids have been problematical. In our study, the type material of all type species for all flabelligerid, and most acrocirrid genera have been studied and the morphological features have been used in a phylogenetic analysis. The results indicate that Acrocirridae, Ctenodrilidae, Fauveliopsidae, Flabelligeridae and Flotidae are monophyletic and that Sternaspidae falls within Cirratulidae; however, the latter conclusion might be reversed through increased taxon-sampling. The flabelligerid genera
Brada,
Flabelligera,
Pherusa and
Stylarioides each consists of several monophyletic groups and may be split. Conversely,
Bradiella includes
Diversibranchius, and the pelagic
Buskiella includes
Flota. The generic affinities of
Poeobius remain uncertain, collecting better materials may resolve this issue.