RESEARCHERS from the University of Southampton have identified a potential threat to coral reefs.
A tiny coral-eating flatworm called Amakusaplana acroporae could cause significant damage to the underwater structures, a study has found.
The flatworm has been found in the wild only in one location: on the Great Barrier Reef, off Australia.
Professor Jorg Wiedenmann, professor of Biological Oceanography and Head of the University’s Coral Reef Laboratory, said: “At the moment, there are no known natural predators of this parasite and only consequent quarantine can efficiently control its spread in land-based coral cultures.
“It is important to continue to raise the awareness among aquarium hobbyists that tank inhabitants should never be returned to the wild, since this might unintentionally contribute to the spread of parasites and diseases.”
Scientists from the University of Southampton, based at the Coral Reef Laboratory in the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, published the results of their research in the latest issue of the journal Coral Reefs.
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