The Association of Waminoa with Reef Corals in Singapore and Its Impact on Putative Immune- and Stress-Response Genes

Abstract

Waminoa spp. are acoel flatworms mainly found as ectosymbionts on scleractinian corals. Although Waminoa could potentially represent a threat to their hosts, not enough information is available yet regarding their ecology and effect on the coral. Here, the Waminoa sp.–coral association was analyzed in Singapore reefs to determine the prevalence, host range, and preference, as well as the flatworm abundance on the coral surface. Moreover, the impact of Waminoa sp. on the expression of putative immune- and stress-response genes (C-type lectin, C3, Hsp70 and Actin) was examined in the coral Lobophyllia radians. The association prevalence was high (10.4%), especially in sites with lower sedimentation and turbidity. Waminoa sp. showed a wide host range, being found on 17 coral genera, many of which are new association records. However, only few coral genera, mostly characterized by massive or laminar morphologies appeared to be preferred hosts. Waminoa sp. individuals displayed variable patterns of coral surface coverage and an unequal distribution among different host taxa, possibly related to the different coral growth forms. A down-regulation of the expression of all the analyzed genes was recorded in L. radians portions colonized by Waminoa individuals compared to those without. This indicated that Waminoa sp. could affect components of the immune system and the cellular homeostasis of the coral, also inhibiting its growth. Therefore, Waminoa sp. could represent a potential further threat for coral communities already subjected to multiple stressors.