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Diseases Caused by Trichodina spheroidesi and Cryptocaryon irritans (Ciliophora) in Wild Coral Reef Fishes
Author(s) -
BunkleyWilliams Lucy,
Williams Ernest H.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
journal of aquatic animal health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.507
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1548-8667
pISSN - 0899-7659
DOI - 10.1577/1548-8667(1994)006<0360:dcbtsa>2.3.co;2
Subject(s) - biology , trichodina , zoology , ecology , fishery , fish <actinopterygii> , gill
Very heavy infections of Trichodina spheroidesi apparently killed wild specimens of orange filefish Aluterus schoepfi and whitespotted filefish Cantherhines macrocerus in Puerto Rico. Possibly it is a primary pathogen under some conditions. The hyperparasite Endosphaera engelmanni occurred in this protozoan, and thus the range of both parasites was extended from the temperate zone to the tropics. Sand drums Umbrina coroides , collected off Humacao, Puerto Rico, had heavy infections of Cryptocaryon irritans , which has seldom been shown to injure wild fishes. We have not seen other examples of these diseases in more than 3,000 specimens of 270 species of wild marine fishes examined in Puerto Rico, although Cryptocaryon irritans is common in local marine aquarium fishes. Sharpnose puffers Canthigaster rostrata often cause outbreaks of Cryptocaryon irritans when placed in marine aquaria.