Trematode facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Trematoda |
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| Botulus microporus, a giant digenean parasite from the intestine of a lancetfish | |
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Trematoda
Rudolphi, 1808
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Trematodes are a group of tiny creatures called flatworms. They are also known as flukes. These worms are special because they live inside other animals, like molluscs (such as snails) and vertebrates (animals with backbones, like fish or humans). When an animal lives inside another and gets its food from it, we call it a parasite.
Scientists believe there are between 18,000 and 24,000 different kinds of trematode species!
What Are Trematodes?
Trematodes are part of a larger group of animals called Platyhelminthes. Think of them as very flat, soft-bodied worms. They don't have a skeleton or hard shell. Most flukes are quite small, but some can grow larger.
Their Life Cycle
Most trematodes have a very interesting and sometimes complicated life cycle. This means they go through different stages and often live in more than one animal during their lives.
- First Host: The adult trematode usually lives inside a vertebrate animal. This is where the fluke reproduces and makes eggs.
- Second Host: The eggs often hatch and infect a different animal, usually a snail. The snail is like a temporary home for the young flukes.
- Spreading Out: From the snail, the young flukes can then spread to other animals, sometimes even a third type of animal, before they find their way back to a vertebrate to become adults again. This way, they keep their life cycle going.
Images for kids
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Varied trematodes, from 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica
See also
In Spanish: Trematodos para niños
