Common Liver Fluke - Fasciola hepatica - Platyhelminthes
About the Common Liver Fluke
Adult worms are typically no larger than 5 cm.This may seem small but this size makes it one of the largest flukes in the world. Many worms can be found in a single animal, causing extensive damage to the liver. They feed on liver tissue while in the host.
How do they Reproduce?
They can reproduce asexually and sexually. The larvae stage known as sporocyst reproduces asexually with its offspring developing into rediae. Adults live in the bile ducts of their mammalian host. Their eggs enter the host gut and are passed on with feces. They hatch to form free-living egg larvae. If a suitable snail host is entered, the miracidium develop into a sporocyst, which produce, either more rediae or another type of larvae. This larvae exits the snail through the pulmonary cavity. It moves until attaches to another object. This can then be eaten, allowing the process to start over again.