Identification of a ciliate (Oligohymenophorea: Scuticociliatia) associated with brown band disease on corals of the Great Barrier Reef

A ciliate associated with the coral disease brown band (BrB) was identified as a new species belonging to the class Oligohymenophorea, subclass Scuticociliatia. The ciliates were characterized by the presence of large numbers of intracellular dinoflagellates and displayed an elongated, tube-shaped body structure. They had uniform ciliature, except for three distinct cilia in the caudal region, and were typically 200 to 400 mu m in length and 20 to 50 mu m in width.