Worm finding mate after short journey (8)

'worm' is the definition.
(type of parasitic worm)

'mate after short journey' is the wordplay.
'mate' becomes 'china' (cockney rhyming slang, mate is china plate).
'after' says to put letters next to each other.
'short' means to remove the last letter.
'journey' becomes 'trip' (trip is a kind of journey).
'trip' with its last letter taken off is 'tri'.
'china' after 'tri' is 'TRICHINA'.

'finding' acts as a link.