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Identification of a Ciliate (Oligohymenophorea: Scuticociliatia) Associated with Brown Band Disease on Corals of the Great Barrier Reef

Australian Institute of Marine Science, PMB No. 3, Townsville, MC, QLD 4810, Australia,¹ ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia,² Centre for Marine Studies, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia³

Received 20 May 2007/ Accepted 29 November 2007

A ciliate associated with the coral disease brown band (BrB) was identified as a new species belonging to the class Oligohymenophorea, subclass Scuticociliatia. The ciliates were characterized by the presence of large numbers of intracellular dinoflagellates and displayed an elongated, tube-shaped body structure. They had uniform ciliature, except for three distinct cilia in the caudal region, and were typically 200 to 400 µm in length and 20 to 50 µm in width.

Published ahead of print on 14 December 2007.