Cercaria
/sərˈkɛəriə/noun
A free-swimming larval stage of a trematode parasite, usually released from a snail host.
Did you know?Many cercariae burst from infected snails in synchronized releases and use chemical, light, and temperature cues to locate their next host.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
κέρκος (kérkos)
“Tail”
18th Century
New Latin
Cercaria
“A zoological name formed from Greek kérkos, referring to the larva’s conspicuous tail”
1773
New Latin
Cercaria
“Otto Friedrich Müller used Cercaria as a genus name for tailed, free-swimming worm larvae”
19th Century
Scientific English
cercaria
“A trematode larva, especially the stage that leaves a molluscan host”
Modern English
English
cercaria
“The motile, usually tailed larval stage of a trematode”
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