Thank you for checking out our project! Black Spot Syndrome is commonly caused by a trematode parasite, Scaphanocephalus spp., which moves from marine snails to reef fish and ultimately to osprey, which consume the infected fish. Infections seem to be very prevalent in Bonaire and Curacao, but a complete spatial scale has yet to be determined.

If you would like to learn more about the disease and our research, please check out this article:
Kohl, Z. F., Calhoun, D. M., Elmer, F., Peachey, R. B. J., Leslie, K. L., Tkach, V. V., Kinsella, J. M. and P. T. J. Johnson (2019). Black-spot syndrome in Caribbean fishes linked to trematode parasite infection (Scaphanocephalus expansus). Coral Reefs 38: 917-930 (https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-019-01819-3).

Posted on June 7, 2023 01:35 PM by mackenzie159