Overview of Parasites and Micro-predators of Corals (E-Aquarium Conference 2021)
Corals • 35m
Barrett Christie's (Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk) presentation at the E-Aquarium Conference 2021. The successful husbandry and propagation of scleractinian and hydrozoan corals should include considerations of parasites which may cause morbidity and mortality. Until recent years there has been a paucity of information on this topic, and the science of health management of corals is as much in its infancy as fish medicine was some thirty years ago. There is still much work to be done to understand the etiologies of microbial disease in corals, but largely through the efforts of aquarium hobbyists and public aquaria we can successfully manage a number of parasitic organisms. Parasites and micropredators (pests) of corals include protozoans, flatworms, molluscs, and decapod crustaceans, among others. Some of the more common organisms like Acropora-eating flatworms, Prosthiostomum acroporae, and the copepod Tegastes acroporanus will be discussed, and the spectrum of known coral parasites and micropredators will be reviewed, with some chemotherapeutic and biological options for control presented.
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