n. (pl. miracidia) the first-stage larva of a parasitic *fluke. Miracidia hatch from eggs released into water with the host’s excreta. They have *cilia and swim about until they reach a snail. The miracidia then bore into the snail’s soft tissues and there continue their development as *sporocysts.
n. the second-stage larva of a parasitic *fluke, found within the tissues of a freshwater snail. A sporocyst develops from a first stage larva (see miracidium) and gives rise either to the next larval stage (see redia) or daughter sporocysts. The latter develop directly into the final larval stage (see cercaria) without the intermediate redia stage.... sporocyst
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