Schistosoma mansoni: onset of chemoattraction in developing worms

Heterosexual chemoattraction studies on juvenile worms showed that 20- and 21-day-old worms do not attract each other, whereas 23- and 28-day-old worms are attracted to each other and pair with worms of the opposite sex. This onset of chemoattraction in vitro corresponds to the time when worms begin pairing in vivo. The ability of single worms to locate each other and mate is presumably mediated by chemoreceptors.