The phylogenetic position of chrysopetalids is still problematical. The family displays a unique notochaetal morphology but also possesses other characters found within the Aphroditiformia and Nereidoidea. Fauchald (1977) placed the families Chrysopetalidae and Palmyridae within the order Phyllodocida, suborder Aphroditiformia, superfamily Chrysopetalacea. The notochaetal paleal fans are the most obvious character shared by palmyrids and chrysopetalids. The larger, robust palmyrids, however, possess a distinct aphroditid head and chaetal characters including non-compartmented, simple neurochaetae. Subsequently Palmyra was included as a non-scaled genus within the family Aphroditidae and the Chrysopetalidae retained as the sole family within the superfamily Chrysopetalacea, suborder Aphroditiformia (Watson Russell, 1989).

All known Australian species included in this database - 13 species and 11 genera - are based on published descriptions. Of those 11 genera, only 7 have actually been recorded from Australian waters. The principal areas surveyed are Bass Strait and Port Phillip Bay (material held in Museum Victoria, Melbourne) and Jervis and Botany Bays (material held in Australian Museum, Sydney). Many taxa undoubtedly remain to be described from Australian waters, especially beyond the soft sediment communities of southeastern Australia which have generated much of the material covered here.