| Paraspadella | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chaetognatha |
| Class: | Sagittoidea |
| Order: | Phragmophora |
| Family: | Spadellidae |
| Genus: | Paraspadella von Salvini-Plawen, 1986 |
Paraspadella is a genus of chaetognaths in the family Spadellidae. Paraspadella was originally considered as Spadella before a revision separated that genus into three genera: Spadella, Paraspadella, and Gephyrospadella, the last of which is now synonymised to Paraspadella. The initial division was based on previous knowledge of three groups of Spadella, in a similar manner in which Sagitta was divided into a family of genera. Paraspadella is differentiated from Spadella by the presence of disparate (digital) adhesive organs, present in the former to various degrees, but entirely absent in the latter.