WCMC Global Coral Disease CD home page

Field Guide to Western Atlantic Coral Diseases and Other Causes of Coral Mortality

Types of Coral Disease and Their Identification

Predators and White-Band Disease (WBD)

Fireworms (Hermodice carunculata) often feed on staghorn coral branches and elkhorn coral branches. Unlike WBD, which starts at the base of a branch, or midway along a branch, fireworms feed on the branch tips. Also, remaining tissue at the base of the branch will not appear diseased, and it will not be peeling off the skeleton. Tissue loss will usually not extend completely around the branch, however.

There are other signs of tissue loss that can be mistaken for white-band disease. Coral-eating snails Coralliophila abbreviata aggregate on branches of elkhorn and staghorn coral (Acropora spp.), and will consume coral tissue from the base of a branch to its tips.
Tissue loss will usually no extend completely around the branch, however.

White-Band Disease.
Predators.

A group of Coralliophila snail on elkhorn coral, A palmata. The feeding scar shows the characteristic "scalloped pattern" created by these snails as they eat coral. This is very different from signs of WBD, which advances in a very regular linear band.

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For help with this CD contact:

Marine and Coastal Programme UNEP-World Conservation Monitoring Centre 219 Huntingdon Road Cambridge CB3 0DL United Kingdom	Information Enquiries Tel: +44 (0)1223 277722 Main Switchboard Tel: +44 (0)1223 277314 Fax: +44 (0)1223 277136 Email: info@unep-wcmc.org
Text and photographs: Andrew Bruckner (andy.bruckner@noaa.gov) of NOAA Fisheries Page design: James O'Carroll (james.ocarroll@unep-wcmc.org) of UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre