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 nakamuraiChimaericola leptogaster, a parasite of the gills of the chimaera Chimaera monstrosa.