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Class - Monogenea

(Ectoparasitic Flatworm)

Monogenea are small parasitic flatworms. The body is usually flat and oval, and rarely longer than about 2cm. Like other flatworms, Monogenea have no coelom. They have a simple digestive system consisting of a mouth opening with a muscular pharynx and an intestine with no anus. Monogeneans have a collection of various attachment structures. The anterior structures are collectively termed the prohaptor, while the posterior ones are collectively termed the opisthaptor.

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Photo Credit: From the English Wikipedia: PD A monogenean parasite of fishes. Released into the public domain by [http://www.fishdisease.net FishDisease.net].

Photo Credit: These images are a work of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, part of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image is in the public domain.

Diagram by:  Adrienne L

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