Table 3 Overview of the main octocoral diseases, the putative pathogens and the octocoral genera/species affected. If multiple octocoral species from the same genus were affected, only the genus name is provided
From: Host-microbe interactions in octocoral holobionts - recent advances and perspectives
| Â | Region | Pathogen | Octocoral affected |
|---|---|---|---|
Microbial diseases | |||
 Aspergillosis | Caribbean | Aspergillus sydowii Aspergillus spp. | Gorgonia spp. Pseudopterogorgia spp. Plexaura spp. Pseudoplexaura porosa Plexaurella spp. |
Pacific | Â | Pacifigorgia spp. | |
 Red Band Disease | Caribbean | Polymicrobial mat – primarily cyanobacteria Ocillatoria sp. | Gorgonia spp. Plexaurella nutans |
 Black Band Disease | Caribbean | Polymicrobial mat – cyanobacteria Phormidium corallyticum, sulphate-reducing Desulfovibrio, sulfide-oxidizing Beggiatoa | Gorgonia spp. Pseudopterogorgia spp. Plexaurella spp. Erythropodium asbestinum |
 Octocoral Vibrio Syndrome (OVS) | Mediterranean | Vibrio coralliilyticus | Eunicella spp. Paramuricea clavata |
 Fungal-Protozoan Syndrome   *Possibly secondary infection following OVS | Mediterranean | Fungus genera Trichoderma, Clodosporium, Penicillium Unidentified protozoa | Eunicella spp. Leptogorgia sarmentosa Paramuricea clavata Corallium rubrum |
 Black Necrotic Syndrome | Pacific | Possibly Penicullium fungus | Isis hippuris |
 Multifocal Purple Spots (previously labyrinthulomycosis) | Caribbean | Aplanochytrium protozoan Sphaerippe copepod | Gorgonia spp. |
 Wasting Syndromes (WS) | Caribbean | Unknown pathogens |  |
  Gorgonian WS |  |  | Gorgonia spp. Plexaura nutans Erythropodium asbestinum |
  Briareum WS |  |  | Briareum spp. |
  Phyllogorgia WS |  |  | Phyllogorgia dilatata |
  Erythropodium WS |  |  | Erythropodium asbestinum |
 Bleaching Necrosis (BN) | Caribbean | Unknown pathogens |  |
  Briareum BN |  |  | Briareum spp. |
  Erythropodium BN |  |  | Erythropodium caribaeorum |
Other diseases | |||
 Growth anomalies   Hyperplasia, hypoplasia   No documented mortality | Caribbean | Endolithic algae – Entocladia endozoica | Gorgonia spp. Pseudopterogorgia spp. Plexaura spp. Pseudoplexaura spp. Plexaurella anceps |
 Bleaching   Loss of zooxanthellae | Caribbean | High seawater temperatures | Gorgonia spp. Pseudopterogorgia spp. Plexaura spp. Pseudoplexaura spp. Plexaurella spp. Briareum spp. Muricea spp. Eunicea spp. Erythropodium asbestinum Pterogorgia citrina Muriceopsis flavida |
Pacific | Â | Isis hippuris Lobophyton spp. Sarcophyton spp. Sinularia spp. | |