{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,16]],"date-time":"2026-03-16T12:09:34Z","timestamp":1773662974835,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":50,"publisher":"FapUNIFESP (SciELO)","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,1]],"date-time":"2026-01-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1767225600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,1]],"date-time":"2026-01-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1767225600000},"content-version":"am","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,1]],"date-time":"2026-01-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1767225600000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100003593","name":"CNPq","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["312684\/2022-3"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["312684\/2022-3"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100003593","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100003593","name":"CNPq","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["303822\/2022-8"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["303822\/2022-8"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100003593","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100003593","name":"CNPq","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["88887.078833\/2024-00"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["88887.078833\/2024-00"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100003593","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100003593","name":"CNPq","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["312684\/2022-3"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["312684\/2022-3"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100003593","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100003593","name":"CNPq","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["303822\/2022-8"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["303822\/2022-8"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100003593","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100003593","name":"CNPq","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["88887.078833\/2024-00"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["88887.078833\/2024-00"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100003593","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100002322","name":"CAPES","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["312684\/2022-3"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["312684\/2022-3"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100002322","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100002322","name":"CAPES","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["303822\/2022-8"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["303822\/2022-8"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100002322","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100002322","name":"CAPES","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["88887.078833\/2024-00"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["88887.078833\/2024-00"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100002322","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Braz. J. Biol."],"abstract":"<jats:p>Abstract Aquarium corals have emerged as a relevant sector not only from an economic perspective but also as a tool for ex situ conservation. However, coral pests and parasites, such as flatworms Prosthiostomum acroporae, nudibranchs Phestilla spp., parasitic copepods Tegastes acroporanus, epizoic acoelomorphs Waminoa spp., and histophagous ciliates Philaster spp., pose significant biological and economic risks in captive systems. This review synthesizes current knowledge on major pest groups affecting ornamental corals, emphasizing their life cycles, host specificity, and control strategies. Chemical treatments (e.g., levamisole, praziquantel, KCl, milbemycin, amoxicillin) show partial efficacy, yet many are limited to adult stages and risk disrupting coral microbiota. Biological control using compatible fish and invertebrates offers promise but remains underutilized. Emerging approaches, including probiotics and microbiome engineering, represent future directions for enhancing coral resilience. The aquarium environment acts as a sentinel model, often anticipating disease outbreaks later observed in wild reefs. Simple and low-cost measures, such as quarantining corals for 4 to 6 weeks, conducting visual inspections under adequate lighting, applying preventative baths, removing egg masses, and maintaining stable water quality parameters, are effective and affordable practices for reducing outbreaks in captive environments. In an era of climate change and increasing demand for captive-bred corals, integrating science-based management with aquarist practices is essential. Preventive measures, rapid diagnostics, and biotechnological innovation will be key to ensuring coral health and advancing the aquarium hobby as a tool for marine conservation.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1590\/1519-6984.303418","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,16]],"date-time":"2026-03-16T11:15:06Z","timestamp":1773659706000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Ornamental coral pests and parasites: a biosecurity alert for aquarium trade"],"prefix":"10.1590","volume":"86","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8387-0121","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"P. H. M.","family":"Cardoso","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Universidade de S\u00e3o Paulo \u2013 USP,  Brasil"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3290-566X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"A. M.","family":"Moreno","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Universidade de S\u00e3o Paulo \u2013 USP,  Brasil"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4153-6349","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"N. V.","family":"Nadal","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Universidade de S\u00e3o Paulo \u2013 USP,  Brasil"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0862-6927","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"M. L.","family":"Martins","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina \u2013 UFSC,  Brasil"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2211-9315","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"S. C.","family":"Balian","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Universidade de S\u00e3o Paulo \u2013 USP,  Brasil"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"530","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026]]},"reference":[{"issue":"8","key":"ref1","first-page":"37","article-title":"Potential anticancer, antiviral and antimicrobial effect of Red Sea soft coral","volume":"67","author":"ABDEL-TAWAB A.M.","year":"2024","journal-title":"Egyptian Journal of Chemistry"},{"key":"ref2","series-title":"API\u00ae Marine Melafix\u2122 study","year":"2025"},{"issue":"3","key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"921","DOI":"10.1038\/s41396-018-0046-8","article-title":"Climate change promotes parasitism in a coral symbiosis","volume":"12","author":"BAKER D.M.","year":"2018","journal-title":"The ISME Journal"},{"issue":"4","key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2284","DOI":"10.1111\/raq.12434","article-title":"Parasites and coral-associated invertebrates that impact coral health","volume":"12","author":"BARTON J.A.","year":"2020","journal-title":"Reviews in Aquaculture"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"61","DOI":"10.3354\/aei00347","article-title":"Biological controls to manage Acropora-eating flatworms in coral aquaculture","volume":"12","author":"BARTON J.A.","year":"2020","journal-title":"Aquaculture Environment Interactions"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"524","DOI":"10.3389\/fmars.2019.00524","article-title":"The life cycle of the Acropora coral-eating flatworm (AEFW), Prosthiostomum acroporae: the influence of temperature and management guidelines","volume":"6","author":"BARTON J.A.","year":"2019","journal-title":"Frontiers in Marine Science"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1016\/j.aquaculture.2020.735978","article-title":"Efficacy of chemical treatments for Acropora-eating flatworm infestations","volume":"532","author":"BARTON J.A.","year":"2021","journal-title":"Aquaculture"},{"issue":"1","key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1093\/ismejo\/wraf078","article-title":"Fireworms are a reservoir and potential vector for coral-infecting apicomplexans","volume":"19","author":"BONACOLTA A.M.","year":"2025","journal-title":"The ISME Journal"},{"key":"ref9","series-title":"Advances in coral husbandry in public aquariums.","first-page":"3","volume-title":"Introduction to the husbandry of corals in aquariums: a review.","author":"BORNEMAN E.","year":"2008"},{"issue":"11","key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1216","DOI":"10.3390\/biology10111216","article-title":"Effects of ciliate infection on the activities of two antioxidant enzymes (SOD and CAT) in captive coral (Goniopora columna) and evaluation of drug therapy","volume":"10","author":"CHENG C.-M.","year":"2021","journal-title":"Biology"},{"issue":"4","key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"235","DOI":"10.1080\/08997659.2016.1206636","article-title":"Effect of an otic milbemycin oxime formulation on Tegastes acroporanus infesting corals","volume":"28","author":"CHRISTIE B.L.","year":"2016","journal-title":"Journal of Aquatic Animal Health"},{"issue":"2","key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"280","DOI":"10.3390\/biology11020280","article-title":"Evaluation of clove extract for drug therapy of ciliate infection in coral (Goniopora columna)","volume":"11","author":"CHU T.-W.","year":"2022","journal-title":"Biology"},{"key":"ref13","series-title":"Convention on International trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora. Appendices I, II and III","year":"2024"},{"key":"ref14","series-title":"FACT: Coral tissue necrosis (RTN and STN) and Coral Bleaching are caused by an infection due to microscopic parasites","year":"2025"},{"issue":"1","key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1093\/ismeco\/ycaf039","article-title":"Probiotics prevent mortality of thermal-sensitive corals exposed to short-term heat stress","volume":"5","author":"DE BREUYN M.","year":"2025","journal-title":"ISME Communications"},{"issue":"2","key":"ref16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"411","DOI":"10.1007\/s00338-024-02610-9","article-title":"The effects of probiotics and stony coral tissue loss disease exposure on coral recruits","volume":"44","author":"DEMKO A.M.","year":"2025","journal-title":"Coral Reefs"},{"key":"ref17","article-title":"Extract of the natural botanical Melia toosendan prevents and treats coral ciliate disease","volume":"599","author":"DING D.-S.","year":"2025","journal-title":"Aquaculture"},{"key":"ref18","article-title":"Parasitic pathways and evaluation of non-specific parasitism of ciliate-infected captive corals","volume":"560","author":"DING D.-S.","year":"2022","journal-title":"Aquaculture"},{"issue":"1","key":"ref19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"133","DOI":"10.1007\/s10123-021-00204-x","article-title":"Assessment of the phylogenetic analysis and antimicrobial, antiviral, and anticancer activities of marine endophytic Streptomyces species of the soft coral Sarcophyton convolutum.","volume":"25","author":"EL-GENDY M.M.A.A.","year":"2022","journal-title":"International Microbiology"},{"key":"ref20","series-title":"Short take: Chelidonura varians: the flatworm eating machine","author":"FENNER B.","year":"2002"},{"issue":"1","key":"ref21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"63","DOI":"10.1007\/s002270050225","article-title":"Control of populations of the coral-feeding nudibranch Phestilla sibogae by fish and crustacean predators","volume":"130","author":"GOCHFELD D.","year":"1997","journal-title":"Marine Biology"},{"issue":"3","key":"ref22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"869","DOI":"10.1007\/s00338-012-0919-7","article-title":"Tissue loss in corals infested by acoelomorph flatworms (Waminoa sp.)","volume":"31","author":"HOEKSEMA B.W.","year":"2012","journal-title":"Coral Reefs"},{"key":"ref23","article-title":"A new species of predatory nudibranch (Gastropoda: Trinchesiidae) of the scleractinian coral Goniopora.","volume":"59","author":"HU J.","year":"2020","journal-title":"Zoological Studies"},{"issue":"2","key":"ref24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"292","DOI":"10.1638\/2022-0028","article-title":"Milbemycin oxime (Interceptor) treatment of pycnogonid sea spider infestation in three species of corals","volume":"54","author":"KROL L.","year":"2023","journal-title":"Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine"},{"key":"ref25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1016\/j.zool.2019.06.002","article-title":"Morphological and phylogenetic diversity of Waminoa and similar flatworms (Acoelomorph) in the western Pacific Ocean","volume":"136","author":"KUNIHIRO S.","year":"2019","journal-title":"Zoology: Analysis of Complex Systems, ZACS"},{"issue":"2","key":"ref26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"136","DOI":"10.1111\/raq.12087","article-title":"Coral aquaculture: applying scientific knowledge to ex situ production","volume":"8","author":"LEAL M.C.","year":"2016","journal-title":"Reviews in Aquaculture"},{"issue":"3","key":"ref27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"603","DOI":"10.1007\/s00338-013-1051-z","article-title":"The endosymbiotic dinoflagellates (Symbiodinium sp.) of corals are parasites and mutualists","volume":"32","author":"LESSER M.P.","year":"2013","journal-title":"Coral Reefs"},{"issue":"4","key":"ref28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"300","DOI":"10.3390\/d14040300","article-title":"The association of Waminoa with reef corals in Singapore and its impact on putative immune- and stress-response genes","volume":"14","author":"MAGGIONI G.","year":"2022","journal-title":"Diversity"},{"issue":"2","key":"ref29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"209","DOI":"10.1007\/s13199-023-00967-z","article-title":"Parasites or predators? Gastropod ectoparasites and their scleractinian host corals at Koh Tao, Gulf of Thailand, with the description of a new species","volume":"92","author":"MEHROTRA R.","year":"2024","journal-title":"Symbiosis"},{"issue":"8","key":"ref30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1253","DOI":"10.1071\/MF14373","article-title":"Widespread occurrence of coral diseases in the central Maldives","volume":"67","author":"MONTANO S.","year":"2015","journal-title":"Marine and Freshwater Research"},{"issue":"1","key":"ref31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"61","DOI":"10.3390\/insects13010061","article-title":"Problems with the concept of \u201cpest\u201d among the diversity of pestiferous thrips","volume":"13","author":"MOUND L.A.","year":"2022","journal-title":"Insects"},{"key":"ref32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"112","DOI":"10.1016\/j.sajb.2025.02.005","article-title":"Isolation and characterization of the endophytic actinomycetes from understudied seaweeds: exploring the therapeutic potential of Streptomyces coelicolor.","volume":"179","author":"OSMAN N.A.H.K.","year":"2025","journal-title":"South African Journal of Botany"},{"issue":"1","key":"ref33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"265","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev-animal-090120-115444","article-title":"Coral probiotics: premise, promise, prospects","volume":"9","author":"PEIXOTO R.S.","year":"2021","journal-title":"Annual Review of Animal Biosciences"},{"key":"ref34","series-title":"Novel ex situ stony coral tissue loss disease treatment protocol","author":"PELOSE G.","year":"2024"},{"issue":"1","key":"ref35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"103","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ejar.2024.03.005","article-title":"Coral black band disease in Indonesia: an overview","volume":"50","author":"PRIBAWASTUTI V.B.","year":"2024","journal-title":"Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Research"},{"key":"ref36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1016\/j.micpath.2021.105211","article-title":"Ciliated protozoan occurrence and association in the pathogenesis of coral diseases","volume":"162","author":"RAVINDRAN J.","year":"2022","journal-title":"Microbial Pathogenesis"},{"issue":"8","key":"ref37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0042240","article-title":"Discovery of the corallivorous polyclad flatworm, Amakusaplana acroporae, on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia: the first report from the wild","volume":"7","author":"RAWLINSON K.A.","year":"2012","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"ref38","series-title":"Coral Rx 8 oz","year":"2025"},{"key":"ref39","series-title":"KZ Flatworm stop and weekly Melafix dips for AEFW","year":"2020"},{"issue":"1","key":"ref40","article-title":"Coral probiotics induce tissue-specific and putative beneficial microbiome restructuring in a coral-dwelling fish","volume":"5","author":"ROSADO J.G.D.","year":"2025","journal-title":"ISME Communications"},{"issue":"9","key":"ref41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1111\/1462-2920.16700","article-title":"Identification of putative coral pathogens in endangered Caribbean staghorn coral using machine learning","volume":"26","author":"SELWYN J.D.","year":"2024","journal-title":"Environmental Microbiology"},{"key":"ref42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"124","DOI":"10.1016\/j.aquaculture.2013.02.037","article-title":"Diseases in coral aquaculture: causes, implications and preventions","volume":"396-399","author":"SHERIDAN C.","year":"2013","journal-title":"Aquaculture"},{"key":"ref43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"119","DOI":"10.1016\/j.seares.2015.06.008","article-title":"Ciliate communities consistently associated with coral diseases","volume":"113","author":"SWEET M.J.","year":"2016","journal-title":"Journal of Sea Research"},{"issue":"4","key":"ref44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"791","DOI":"10.1017\/S0025315411001688","article-title":"Coral diseases in aquaria and in nature","volume":"92","author":"SWEET M.","year":"2012","journal-title":"Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom"},{"key":"ref45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"380","DOI":"10.1016\/j.copbio.2021.09.009","article-title":"Probiotics for coral aquaculture: challenges and considerations","volume":"73","author":"THATCHER C.","year":"2022","journal-title":"Current Opinion in Biotechnology"},{"issue":"1","key":"ref46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"227","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev-marine-011123-102337","article-title":"Coral disease: direct and indirect agents, mechanisms of disease, and innovations for increasing resistance and resilience","volume":"17","author":"THURBER R.L.V.","year":"2025","journal-title":"Annual Review of Marine Science"},{"key":"ref47","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.3389\/fmicb.2020.569354","article-title":"Disease diagnostics and potential coinfections by Vibrio coralliilyticus during an ongoing coral disease outbreak in Florida","volume":"11","author":"USHIJIMA B.","year":"2020","journal-title":"Frontiers in Microbiology"},{"key":"ref48","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.3897\/zookeys.909.35278","article-title":"Phestilla subodiosus sp. nov. (Nudibranchia, Trinchesiidae), a corallivorous pest species in the aquarium trade","volume":"909","author":"WANG A.","year":"2020","journal-title":"ZooKeys"},{"issue":"3","key":"ref49","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"665","DOI":"10.1007\/s00338-011-0781-z","article-title":"Epizoic acoelomorph flatworms compete with their coral host for zooplankton","volume":"30","author":"WIJGERDE T.","year":"2011","journal-title":"Coral Reefs"},{"key":"ref50","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1016\/j.zool.2024.126234","article-title":"Parasitism in coral reefs: trophic ecology of crustacean ascothoracidan parasites and their coral hosts from Malaysia","volume":"168","author":"ZALOTA A.K.","year":"2025","journal-title":"Zoology: Analysis of Complex Systems, ZACS"}],"container-title":["Brazilian Journal of Biology"],"original-title":["Pragas e parasitas de corais ornamentais: um alerta de biosseguridade para o com\u00e9rcio de aquariofilia"],"link":[{"URL":"http:\/\/www.scielo.br\/scielo.php?script=sci_pdf&pid=S1519-69842026000101001&tlng=en","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,16]],"date-time":"2026-03-16T11:15:17Z","timestamp":1773659717000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"http:\/\/www.scielo.br\/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1519-69842026000101001&tlng=en"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026]]},"references-count":50,"alternative-id":["S1519-69842026000101001"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1590\/1519-6984.303418","relation":{},"ISSN":["1678-4375","1519-6984"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1678-4375","type":"electronic"},{"value":"1519-6984","type":"print"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026]]},"article-number":"e303418"}}