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