Coral colony (Porites compressa) infected by metacercariae of the digenetic trematode Podocotyloides stenometra

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Coral colony Porites compressa infected by metacercariae of the digenetic trematode Podocotyloides stenometra. The encysted larvae cause coral polyps to swell and turn pink, becoming more vulnerable to predation by butterflyfish, the next host in the trematode's parasitic life cycle. Fringing reefs of Daintree National Park Queensland Australia

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Size: 4742px × 3557px
Photo credit: © Suzanne Long / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: barrier, compressa, coral, corals, cycles, digenetic, disease, diseases, environment, great, infect, infected, infection, infectious, infestation, life, lifecycle, marine, ocean, parasite, parasites, parasitic, park, pink, podocotyloides, porites, predation, problem, reef, reefs, sea, sick, stenometra, trematode, trematodes, tropical, tropics, underwater, unhealthy