This stage is completed upon coming in contact with, and entering into, a suitable intermediate host for the purposes of asexual reproduction.
Miracidia have cilia that are only present in the upper portion of the body near an apical gland with 12 hook-like spines in the opening.
Their eyespots are dark brown and shaped like an inverted capital letter L, located between the first and second row of plates.
The ability and efficiency of miracidia to find a host is a crucial factor in the growth and success of later life stages.
In phase three miracidia begin approaching their host target and preparing to penetrate it while responding to chemical stimuli.
The miracidium itself can differentiate into a replicative primary sporocyst as it sheds its epidermal plates within the snail intermediate host.
Trematodes may have varying numbers of asexual generations and larval forms, but share a cercarial stage.