Tapeworms: Cestoda

Tapeworms live in almost all land, sea, and freshwater habitats where vertebrates live. Vertebrates (VER-teh-brehts) are animals with a backbone. Most adult tapeworms live in the intestines of the final hosts, but a few species live in the body cavity. Tapeworm larvae, which live in a host called the intermediate host before moving to the final host, live in various types of tissue, such as liver, lung, muscle, body cavity, brain, and sometimes even the eyes. Larvae (LAR-vee) are animals in an early stage that change form before becoming adults.