Coral-killing cyanobacteriosponge (Terpios hoshinota) on the Great Barrier Reef

Abstract

[Extract] The encrusting cyanobacteriosponge Terpios hoshinota was originally described from Guam (Rützler and Muzik 1993) and is expanding its range in coral reefs of the northwestern Pacific (Liao et al. 2007). Terpios hoshinota encrusts many hard substrates, including live coral, and occasionally undergoes massive outbreaks that can cover huge areas, which can result in the mass mortality of corals and other resident organisms (Bryan 1973; Rützler and Muzik 1993). This sponge presents a potentially serious threat to coral reefs, and data are needed on its current distribution and abundance to assess its geographical expansion.