[′sis·tə‚kanth] (invertebrate zoology) The infective larva of the Acanthocephala; lies in the hemocele of the intermediate host.
cystacanth
cys·ta·canth
(sis'tă-kanth), The fully developed larva of Acanthocephala, infective to the final host and with an inverted fully formed proboscis characteristic of the adult worm. [cyst- + G. akantha, thorn or spine]