Hard Tissue Tumors of Scleractinian Corals

Disease and immunity in Caribbean and Indo-Pacific zooxanthellate corals

“…Skeletal anomalies of scleractinian corals have been observed on reefs throughout the world including the Florida Keys (Peters et al 1986), Netherlands Antilles (Bak 1983), Hawaii (Squires 1965, Cheng & Wong 1974, Hunter & Peters 1993Grygier & Cairns 1996, Aeby 1998, Guam and Enewetak (Cheney 1975), Oman (Coles & Seapy 1998), Japan (Yamashiro et al 2000, and the Great Barrier Reef, Australia (Loya et al 1984).…”

“…3D) affect 16 Caribbean (Table 2) and 24 Indo-Pacific (Table 3) scleractinian species, 1 Caribbean hydrozoan, and at least 5 species of Caribbean gorgonians (Table 2; Squires 1965, Cheney 1975, Morse et al 1977, Bak 1983, Goldberg et al 1984, Loya et al 1984, Peters et al 1986, Hunter & Peters 1993, Le Champion-Alsumard et al 1995, Grygier & Cairns 1996, Coles & Seapy 1998, Green & Bruckner 2000, Yamashiro et al 2000, Ravindran et al 2001, Dube et al 2002. Acroporids appear to be the most susceptible to neoplasia (Peters et al 1986, Coles & Seapy 1998, and this may be due to the rapid growth rates of this genus (Peters et al 1986).…”

Spatial and temporal patterns of scleractinian coral, soft coral, and zoanthid disease on a remote, near-pristine coral reef (Palmyra Atoll, central Pacific)

“…The fact that GAs increase in number on an infected individual over time, combined with their lack of normal polyp structure, reduced density of zooxanthellae and lack of digestive organs ) means that they negatively impact affected corals at Palmyra, particularly Acropora and Montipora species. Coral GAs are now widely acknowledged as a deleterious condition, capable of leading to reduced colony growth, decreased density of coral skeleton, loss of mucus secretory cells and nematocysts, reduced density of zooxanthellae, reduced fecundity, tissue necrosis, and a loss, reduction or degeneration of normal polyp structure (Cheney 1975, Bak 1983, Peters et al 1986, Coles & Seapy 1998, Yamashiro et al 2000, Gateno et al 2003, Domart-Coulon et al 2006, Work et al 2008.…”

A survey of cellular reactions to environmental stress and disease in Caribbean scleractinian corals

“…6 F). Because of the appearance of uncontrolled growth, destruction of polyps, changes in cell structure and function, and spread of the abnormal skeletal growth along a branch, this condition appears to be a true neoplasia of the coral (Cheney, 1975;Bak, 1983; J. C. Harshbarger, pers. comm.).…”