Nippotaeniidea

The Nippotaeniidea are a small order of tapeworms, comprising only one genus, Nippotaenia, and three species. These tapeworms are parasites that specifically infect freshwater fish. Their defining characteristic is a single apical sucker located on their scolex, which is the head-like structure used for attachment to the host.1

Tapeworms, in general, are parasitic flatworms belonging to the class Cestoda. They lack a digestive tract and absorb nutrients directly through their body covering. Most tapeworms are hermaphroditic and have complex life cycles involving one or more intermediate hosts before reaching their definitive host.2