What is "microcotyle"

Microcotyle is a genus which belongs to the phylum Platyhelminthes and class Monogenea. It is an ectoparasite that affects its host by attaching itself as a larva on the gills of the fish and grows into adult stage. This larval stage of Microcotyle is called oncomiracidium, and is characterized as free swimming and ciliated.

Microcotyle is considered as a monogenetic parasite, having only one host in its entire life cycle. However, different species of Microcotyle inhabit marine and freshwater and they can also infect different species of fishes. They are uniquely characterized by their haptor having a lot of tiny clamps on the lateral margins.

Although not really known to cause that much damage in marine wildlife, some of them are reported to cause agricultural problems like Microcotyle sebastis as an example. Microcotyle sebastis commonly affects Sebastes schlegeli, a farm fish found in Korea.