# Liver fluke (*Fasciola hepatica*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/liver-fluke  
Data as of: 2026-11-14

The liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica) is an invertebrate in the worms subgroup, belonging to the family Fasciolidae in the class Trematoda of the phylum Platyhelminthes. Its scientific name was given by Linnaeus, 1758, and it is placed in the order Plagiorchiida, suborder Echinostomata, superfamily Echinostomatoidea and subfamily Fasciolinae. Other English names for the liver fluke are Sheep liver fluke, Small liver-fluke and Common liver fluke.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | Not recorded |
| Length | up to 3 cm |
| Lifespan | Not recorded |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | Not recorded |
| Young per litter or clutch | Not recorded |
| Reproduction | Eggs |
| Conservation status | Not recorded |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Introduced range

The Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species lists it as introduced in 1 country, and flagged as invasive in it. Introduced: Bolivia. Invasive: Bolivia. Source: https://griis.org/ (CC BY 4.0).

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Platyhelminthes
- class: Trematoda
- order: Plagiorchiida
- family: Fasciolidae
- genus: Fasciola
- species: *Fasciola hepatica* Linnaeus, 1758

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the liver fluke?

The liver fluke is an invertebrate in the worms subgroup. It belongs to the class Trematoda in the phylum Platyhelminthes.

### What is the scientific name of the liver fluke?

The scientific name of the liver fluke is Fasciola hepatica, in the genus Fasciola.

### Who named Fasciola hepatica and when?

Fasciola hepatica was named by Linnaeus, 1758.

### What family does the liver fluke belong to?

The liver fluke belongs to the family Fasciolidae, subfamily Fasciolinae, within the superfamily Echinostomatoidea.

### What other names does the liver fluke have?

The liver fluke is also called Sheep liver fluke, Small liver-fluke and Common liver fluke.

### Is the liver fluke an invasive species?

In some places. The Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species flags the liver fluke as invasive in 1 country: Bolivia. It lists it as introduced in 1 in all.

## Sources

- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species (GRIIS)](https://griis.org/), CC BY 4.0, 2026-11-13. Pagad, S., Genovesi, P., Carnevali, L., Schigel, D. & McGeoch, M.A. (2018) Introducing the Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species. Scientific Data 5: 170202. https://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2017.202. Country checklists published through GBIF by the IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group.
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/liver-fluke