A group of parasitic flatworms (flukes) characterized by having suckers or attachment structures that vary in form.
From Greek hetero- (different), kotyle (cup-shaped structure), and -ea (taxonomic suffix), named for their varied sucker-like organs.
These parasitic flatworms are incredibly specialized predators with variable suckers—each species evolved different attachment strategies for clinging to different fish hosts, making them masters of parasitic adaptation!
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