noun
- Plural of metacercaria; the larval stage of a parasitic trematode (flatworm) that develops in an intermediate host and is infective to the final host.
Usage: biology; parasitology; technical term
Examples
- The metacercarias of the liver fluke develop within freshwater snails.
- Fish become infected when they ingest metacercarias from contaminated water.
- Metacercarias can survive in muscle tissue for extended periods.
- The life cycle includes metacercarias as a crucial stage before infection of the definitive host.
- Researchers identified metacercarias in the tissue samples of infected fish species.