, pl. metacercariae The postcercarial encysted stage in the life history of a fluke, before transfer to the definitive host. Some cercariae attach themselves to grass or other vegetation, form metacercaria, and later are ingested by herbivores, as in Fasciola and similar forms; others encyst in muscles of fish, as in Clonorchis, or in crayfish, as in Paragonimus. [meta- + G. kerkos, tail]
