A gall-forming copepod causes localized bleaching of the coral Porites

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I found a small circular white spot on the surface of a coral Porites spp. on the reef flat of Okinawa Japan. This white spot resembles its color and size in PUWS (Porites Ulcerative White Spot Disease) reported from Philippine. However the white spot observed in Okinawan Porites was not PUWF disease, and found that a copepod Xenomolgus varius lives in the skeleton under the spot (Hoi and Yamashiro, 2007). X. varius was found from the formalin-washout of the coral Porites in Mauritius (Humes and Stock, 1973) and it has not been unclear where this species live. The individuals situate in the skeleton and the head is set upward. Coral soft tissue has a small hole, through which they may get something and release larvae. The present study is to elucidate the reason why the copepods bleach coral tissue. To observe the relationship between copepod and symbiotic algae, histological sections were made. Furthermore the gut content of the copepod was investigated with a fluorescent microscope. This parasitic copepod did not affect coral reproduction. Observation showed that the copepod eats symbiotic algae of the host coral. To get sufficient food, they must need culture algae around them under dim light. The copepods have to inhibit the growth/photosynthesis of upper symbiotic algae as a curtain, because they need much sunlight for lower algae as a food. This cryptic copepod has highly organized strategies; transformation of the coral skeleton to live in, inhibition of symbiotic algae to uptake sunlight and culture. Although the effect of copepod inhabitation on host coral seems not to be serious at present, continuous monitoring is needed.(Symposium 7, Diseases on coral reefs)(11th International Coral Reef Symposium, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA)

A gall-forming copepod causes localized bleaching of the coral Porites

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