Folliculinid ciliates: a new threat to Caribbean corals?

Diseases of Aquatic Organisms

Diana Lipscomb¹  Aldo Cróquer¹  Carolina Bastidas¹ 

关键词: Coral;    Ciliate;    Disease;    Caribbean;    Coral reefs;   

DOI  :  10.3354/dao069075

学科分类：生物科学（综合）

来源: Inter-Research

【 摘 要 】

ABSTRACT: This is the first report of a putative pathogenic ciliate protozoan that has been associated with Caribbean corals. Previously, only 2 species of the phylum Ciliophora had been linked to coral diseases, and they were exclusive to the Indo-Pacific region. In this study, a ciliate of the genus Halofolliculina was found on 10 hard coral species at the National Parks of Los Roques and Morrocoy, Venezuela. The general morphology of this ciliate is very similar to that of Halofolliculina corallasia from the Indo-Pacific, which is known to cause skeletal eroding band. None of the other 31 genera in the family Folliculinidae are known to cause diseases in corals or in any other animal species. The presence of this ciliate, which shows a prevalence comparable to that of other epizootics in the Caribbean, suggests it could be a new threat to the coral reefs of this region.

【 授权许可】

Unknown