cercarium jl16 worm_development WBls:0000708 An infectious life-cycle stage, which can infect by direct skin penetration (e.g. Schistosoma sp.) or ingestion (e.g. Fasciola sp.). Cercariae develop in and emerge from the intermediate invertebrate (snail) host. In Schistosoma sp., the cercarium attaches to the skin of the definitive host and secretes proteolytic enzymes helping it to enter into cutaneous capillary vessel; upon the penetration the cercarium sheds its tail and transforms into a schistosomulum. In Fasciola sp., cercariae encyst on vegetation as dormant metacercariae until ingestion by the definitive host. 2016-03-16T11:44:51Z cercariae Digenean life stage