It was first described in 1956 by Martin, who had found cercariae (a larval stage of a fluke) released by the snail Cerithidea californica in southwestern California.
The parasite infects an amphibic snail (Segmentina nitidella, Segmentina hemisphaerula, Hippeutis schmackerie, Gyraulus, Lymnaea, Pila, Planorbis (Indoplanorbis)) after being released by infected feces; from this intermediate host, metacercaria infest on aquatic plants like water spinach, which are eaten raw by pigs and humans.