Polyopisthocotylea is a subclass of parasitic flatworms in the class

Monogenea Monogeneans are a group of ectoparasitic flatworms commonly found on the skin, gills, or fins of fish. They have a direct lifecycle and do not require an intermediate host. Adults are hermaphrodites, meaning they have both male and female reprod ...

. WoRMS (2019). Polyopisthocotylea. Accessed at: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=119220 on 2019-02-08Yamaguti, S. (1963). Systema Helminthum Volume IV Monogenea and Aspidocotylea: John Wiley & Sons.Hayward, C. (2005). Monogenea Polyopisthocotylea (ectoparasitic flukes). In K. Rohde (Ed.), Marine Parasitology (pp. 55-63): CSIRO, Collingwood, Australia & CABI, Oxon, UK.

Classification

There are only two subclasses in the class

: *

Monopisthocotylea The Monopisthocotylea are a subclass of parasitic flatworms in the class Monogenea. WoRMS (2019). Monopisthocotylea. Accessed at: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=119219 on 2019-02-08 Yamaguti, S. (1963). Systema Helminthum V ...

. The name means "a single posterior sucker" - the attachment organ (the

haptor The haptor is the attachment organ of the monogeneans, a group of parasitic Platyhelminthes. The haptor is sometimes called opisthaptor (from ''opistho-'': behind) to emphasize that it is located in the posterior part of the body, and to differe ...

) is simple. * Polyopisthocotylea. The name means "several posterior suckers" - the attachment organ (the

) is complex, with several

clamps Clamp may refer to: Tools and devices *Brick clamp, an early method of baking bricks *Clamp (tool), a device or tool used to hold objects in a fixed relative position (many types listed) ** C-clamp ** C-clamp (stagecraft) **Riser clamp, a device ...

or suckers. The subclass Polyopisthocotylea contains the four following orders: * Order

Chimaericolidea Polyopisthocotylea is a subclass of parasitic flatworms in the class Monogenea. WoRMS (2019). Polyopisthocotylea. Accessed at: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=119220 on 2019-02-08Yamaguti, S. (1963). Systema Helminthum Volum ...

* Order

Diclybothriidea Diclybothriidea is an order of monogeneans in the subclass Polyopisthocotylea. Families * Diclybothriidae Bychowsky & Gusev, 1950Bychowski, B. E. & Gusev, A. W. (1950). The family Diclybothriidae and its systematic position. ''Parazitologichesk ...

* Order

Mazocraeidea Mazocraeidea is an order in the subclass Polyopisthocotylea within class Monogenea. The species of this order have various structures in the clamps of their posterior attachment organ, including additional sclerites in the Gastrocotylidae and r ...

* Order

Polystomatidea Polyopisthocotylea is a subclass of parasitic flatworms in the class Monogenea. WoRMS (2019). Polyopisthocotylea. Accessed at: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=119220 on 2019-02-08Yamaguti, S. (1963). Systema Helminthum Volum ...

Examples of species

* '' Microcotyle visa'', one of the numerous species which are parasitic on

gills A gill () is a respiratory organ that many aquatic organisms use to extract dissolved oxygen from water and to excrete carbon dioxide. The gills of some species, such as hermit crabs, have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are ...

of marine fish. *''

Diplozoon paradoxum ''Diplozoon paradoxum'' is a flatworm (platyhelminth) from the class Monogenea. It is found in freshwater fishes in Asia and Europe and known for its complete monogamy. This parasite is commonly found on the gills of European cyprinid fishes. It ...

'', famous for its perfect

monogamy Monogamy ( ) is a form of dyadic relationship in which an individual has only one partner during their lifetime. Alternately, only one partner at any one time (serial monogamy) — as compared to the various forms of non-monogamy (e.g., polyga ...

, with the two individuals of the pair fused together *''

Lethacotyle vera ''Lethacotyle vera'' is a species of monogenean of the family Protomicrocotylidae.Johnston, T. A. & Tiegs, O. W. 1922: New gyrodactyloid trematodes from Australian fishes together with a reclassification of the super-family Gyrodactyloidea. P ...

'', a parasite of the brassy trevally (''Caranx papuensis''), "the monogenean which lost its clamps" *''

Polystoma integerrimum ''Polystoma integerrimum'' is a flatworm (platyhelminth) from the class Monogenea found in amphibians in Asia and Europe. It is an endoparasite of frogs and toads and has an unusual life cycle which synchronises with that of its host. Descrip ...

'', a parasite of frogs which synchronises its breeding with that of its host *''

Protocotyle euzetmaillardi ''Protocotyle euzetmaillardi'' is a species of monogenean of the family Hexabothriidae. It is the third described species of the genus '' Protocotyle'', after '' Protocotyle grisea'' (Cerfontaine, 1899) Euzet & Maillard, 1974Euzet, L. & Mailla ...

'', a parasite of the bigeyed sixgill shark ''

Hexanchus nakamurai The bigeyed sixgill shark (''Hexanchus nakamurai'') is a cow shark of the family Hexanchidae. Its dorsal surface has a brownish-gray color, and is sharply separated from the light coloring of its ventral surface. The eyes are a fluorescent gre ...

'' * ''

Chimaericola leptogaster ''Chimaericola leptogaster'' is a species of polyopisthocotylean monogenean in the family Chimaericolidae. It is ectoparasitic on the gills of the chimaera '' Chimaera monstrosa''. History According to Brinkmann,Brinkmann Jr, A. (1942). On ' ...

'', a parasite of the gills of the chimaera ''

Chimaera monstrosa ''Chimaera monstrosa'', also known as the rabbit fish or rat fish, is a northeast Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean species of cartilaginous fish in the family Chimaeridae. The rabbit fish is known for its characteris ...

''.

References

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3377527 Protostome subclasses