Rajonchocotyle

These flukes are relatively large, about 5 mm in length, and live on the gills of cartilagenous fishes. The prominent opisthaptor, at the lower left of the photo, has 3 pairs of pedunculate clamps. Each clamp is muscular, with a single, curved internal sclerite that helps grip the host. The presence of these multiple clamps easily places this fluke in the Polyopisthocotylea. There is also a caudal projection possessing a pair of small oval muscular clamps at the tip.

The prohaptor at the anterior (top of photo) is a simple structure, consisting of a prominent surrounding the mouth and leading to a muscular pharynx. Posterior to the pharynx, the intestine splits into two ceca which proceed posteriorly nearly to the level of the opisthaptor. The ceca are obscured in many places by the dense lateral bands of vitellaria.

The coiled ovary is visible as a lightly-staining oval in the midbody, with a dark-staining uterus proceeding anteriorly.