Diseases of Aquatic Organisms cover
DAO

Diseases of Aquatic Organisms

DAO is a hybrid research journal on all aspects of disease phenomena in aquatic organisms.

Online: ISSN 1616-1580

Print: ISSN 0177-5103

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/dao

Impact Factor1.2 (JCR 2026 release)

Article Acceptance Rate56.8% (2025)

Median Time in Review111 days (2025)

Total Annual Downloads308.288 (2026)

Volume contents
Dis Aquat Org 147:47-61 (2021)

Detrimental conditions affecting Xestospongia muta across shallow and mesophotic coral reefs off the southwest coast of Puerto Rico

ABSTRACT: 

Sponges are fundamental components of coral reef communities and, unfortunately, like other major benthic members, they too have been impacted by epizootic and panzootic events. We report on the prevalence of disease-like conditions affecting populations of the giant barrel sponge Xestospongia muta across shallow and mesophotic coral reefs off La Parguera Natural Reserve (LPNR) and Mona Island Marine Reserve (MIMR) in Puerto Rico. Four different conditions affecting X. muta were observed during our surveys, of which 3 have been previously reported: cyclic spotted bleaching (CSB; apparently non-lethal), Xestospongia-tissue wasting disease (X-TWD; apparently lethal), and sponge orange band disease (SOB; sparsely associated with X-TWD infected individuals). Additionally, we describe a fourth condition, Xestospongia-tissue hardening condition (X-THC), a previously unreported disease recently observed along the insular shelf margin off LPNR and MIMR. Within LPNR, a total of 764 specimens of X. muta were inspected and measured. Of these, 590 sponges (72.2%) had CSB, 25 (3.27%) had signs of X-TWD, 7 (0.92%) had SOB, and the remaining 142 (18.6%) were apparently healthy. Three colonies inhabiting upper mesophotic depths on the LPNR insular shelf showed signs of CSB and X-TWD. At MIMR, video-transect surveys revealed a total of 514 colonies, of which 40 (7.78%) had signs of CSB and/or XTWD, 14 (2.72%) were affected by X-THC, while the remaining 460 (89.5%) showed no external signs of disease and appeared healthy. The presence of 4 concomitant disease-like conditions in barrel sponges of Puerto Rico is alarming, and indicative of the deteriorating status of Caribbean coral reefs.

KEYWORDS

J. E. García-Hernández (Co-author)

  • Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, PO Box 9000, Mayagüez, PR 00681, USA
  • Scientific Reefers, HC01 Box 4731, Lajas, PR 00667, USA

E. Tuohy (Co-author)

  • Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, PO Box 9000, Mayagüez, PR 00681, USA
  • Isla Mar Research Expeditions, Aguada, PR 00602, USA

D. A. Toledo-Rodríguez (Co-author)

  • Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, PO Box 9000, Mayagüez, PR 00681, USA

C. Sherman (Co-author)

  • Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, PO Box 9000, Mayagüez, PR 00681, USA

N. V. Schizas (Corresponding Author)

  • Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, PO Box 9000, Mayagüez, PR 00681, USA

nikolaos.schizas@upr.edu

E. Weil (Co-author)

  • Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, PO Box 9000, Mayagüez, PR 00681, USA