Monogeneans (Plathelminthes) are fish ectoparasites considered recently as a perspective model in wide range of biological and ecological studies. The essential precondition for the usage of monogeneans as model organisms or biological indicators is correct species identification. Nevertheless, it has been demonstrated that taxonomic important structures of monogeneans show a high degree of variation in size and shape that is linked to several environmental factors, for example water temperature. No only variation of taxonomic structure but also morphological abnormalities of attachment structures are known to be related with environmental stress. The project is aimed to study morphological abnormalities, form their typology and estimate possible relationship with contamination of environment by pollutants. There is also need to confirm validity of taxonomic important structures and evaluate an impact of environmental factors on their variability.

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