Diseases of tunicates and cephalochordates

Abstract

The phylum Chordata consists of two invertebrate groups: the cephalochordates and tunicates (also known as urochordates), together with the vertebrates. Little is known about the diseases of tunicates apart from soft tunic syndrome found in sea pineapples, Halocynthia roretzi, in ascidian farms in Korea and Japan. This condition is caused by the kinetoplastid, Azumiobodo hoyamushi. Tunicates may also host gregarines and copepods but their effect on the host is often unclear. There are no reports of diseases in wild caught cephalochordates but vibriosis has been observed in aquarium-maintained amphioxus.