Polyopisthocotylea

Polyopisthocotylea is a subclass of parasitic flatworms in the class Monogenea.

Classification

There are only two subclasses in the class Monogenea:

Monopisthocotylea. The name means "a single posterior sucker" - the attachment organ is simple.
Polyopisthocotylea. The name means "several posterior suckers" - the attachment organ is complex, with several clamps or suckers.

The subclass Polyopisthocotylea contains the four following orders:

Order Chimaericolidea
Order Diclybothriidea
Order Lagarocotylidea
Order Mazocraeidea
Order Polystomatidea
Examples of species
Microcotyle visa, one of the numerous species which are parasitic on gills of marine fish.
Diplozoon paradoxum, famous for its perfect monogamy, with the two individuals of the pair fused together
Lethacotyle vera, a parasite of the brassy trevally (Caranx papuensis), "the monogenean which lost its clamps"
Polystoma integerrimum, a parasite of frogs which synchronises its breeding with that of its host
Protocotyle euzetmaillardi, a parasite of the bigeyed sixgill shark Hexanchus nakamurai
Chimaericola leptogaster, a parasite of the gills of the chimaera Chimaera monstrosa.