Identification: One of the most recent
"pests" who have now become prevalent
is a very small crustacean that looks like
a mite and appears to prefer most
species of Acropora corals. This
crustacean is yellow in color with a red
dot, approximately 1/2 mm in length,
and is very difficult to see without a
magnifying glass. It has been theorized that red bugs are either a parasitic form of copepod or micro-amphipod, though very
little research has been done and their true identification is not complete at this time.
Symptoms and signs: It has been speculated that the crustacean feeds off of the slime and
waste products produced by the Acroporas. If you have an established colony of Acropora sp.
that begins losing coloration and stops showing normal polyp extension, take a closer look at
the tissue of the coral for any small yellowish/red specks. It is oftentimes easiest to distinguish
these pests on the shadowed underside of a branch. An infected colony of Acropora will
typically show poor or no polyp extension, and will slowly lose coloration over time. As at>
result of this infestation, it has been found that the growth rate of the colony is seriously
affected, and may even result in death to the coral itself.
It is not clear why these bugs prefer certain species of Acropora over others, nor is it clear
why they are not found on other SPS corals such as Montipora, Pocillopora, or Seriatopora.
Treatment: Several methods of treatment - from introducing natural predators to medications -
have been tested with various levels of success.
Introduce Dragonface Pipefish (Corythoichthys haematopterus) to the quarantine
or display aquarium. Once the fish are settled in and adjusted to the aquarium
conditions, the small pipefish will anchor themselves on the branches of Acropora
and begin to feed on tiny crustaceans as well as red bugs.
Dip the Acropora into a concentrated iodine and aquarium
water mixture for approximately 15 minutes using a clean
plastic container. Lugol's solution is the preferred iodine base
for this procedure, along with other commercially available
coral dips, such as Reef Dip by Seachem.
The last method, developed by Dustin
Dorton at ORA, involves treating the
aquarium or quarantine aquarium with
Milbemycin oxime. This chemical is the
active ingredient in Interceptor, a
heartworm preventive and de-worming
medication for dogs only available by
Reef Aquarium Pests and Parasites