Zosteraceae (among the four seagrasses households, Kubitzki ed. 1998) is a family of marine perennial flowering plants located in temperate and subtropical coastal waters, with the maximum diversity situated around Korea and Japan. Most seagrasses finish their whole life cycle underwater, having filamentous pollen especially adapted to dispersion within an aquatic environment and ribbon-like leaves which lack stomata. Seagrasses are herbaceous and have notable creeping rhizomes. A distinctive characteristic of this family is the presence of feature retinacules, which are found in all species except members of Zostera subgenus Zostera.

Zosteraceae has long been approved by taxonomists as monophyletic. The APG II system of 2003 recognizes this family and puts it at the monocot order Alismatales. The household contains approximately two species split between two genera, Phyllospadix and Zostera totalling 22 known species (Christenhusz & Byng 2016 ). Zostera Comprises three subgenera: Heterozostera (formerly considered a separate genus ), Zostera and Zosterella. Zosteraceae is closely associated with Potamogetonaceae, a family of freshwater aquatics.

Categorization

Marine grasses families: Zosteraceae, Cymodoceaceae, Ruppiaceae and Posidoniaceae. Associated families: Potamogetonaceae and sometimes such as Zannichelliaceae.