Scuticociliate

Subclass of single-celled organisms

Scuticociliate
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Clade:	Diaphoretickes
Clade:	SAR
Clade:	Alveolata
Phylum:	Ciliophora
Class:	Oligohymenophorea
Subclass:	Scuticociliatia Small, 1967^[1]
Orders
Philasterida Pleuronematida Thigmotrichida

Scuticociliatia is a subclass of ciliates in the class Oligohymenophorea. Its members are called scuticociliates. These unicellular eukaryotes are microorganisms that are usually free-living and can be found in freshwater, marine, and soil habitats.^[2] Around 20 members of the group have been identified as causative agents of the disease scuticociliatosis, in which the ciliates are parasites of other marine organisms. Species known to be susceptible include a broad range of teleosts, seahorses, sharks, and some crustaceans.^[3] Since 2022 there have also been several reports that scuticociliates might be responsible for mass die-off events of sea urchins across the world's oceans.^[4]

References

^ Small, Eugene B. (October 1967). "The Scuticociliatida, a New Order of the Class Ciliatea (Phylum Protozoa, Subphylum Ciliophora)". Transactions of the American Microscopical Society. 86 (4): 345. doi:10.2307/3224258.
^ Pan, Mengmeng; Chen, Ying; Liang, Chengdong; Pan, Xuming (2020-06-01). "Taxonomy and molecular phylogeny of three freshwater scuticociliates, with descriptions of one new genus and two new species (Protista, Ciliophora, Oligohymenophorea)". European Journal of Protistology. 74: 125644. doi:10.1016/j.ejop.2019.125644. ISSN 0932-4739.
^ Jung, Sung-Ju; Woo, Patrick T.K. (2012). "Chapter 5: Miamiensis avidus and related species". In Woo, Patrick T.K.; Buchmann, Kurt (eds.). Fish parasites: pathobiology and protection. Wallingford, Oxfordshire: CABI. pp. 73–91. ISBN 9781845938062.
^ Cummings, Sean (May 28, 2024). "Mysterious sea urchin plague is spreading through the world's oceans". Science. Retrieved June 17, 2024.

Bourne DG, Boyett HV, Henderson ME, Muirhead A, Willis BL (2008). "Identification of a ciliate (Oligohymenophorea: Scuticociliatia) associated with brown band disease on corals of the Great Barrier Reef". Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 74 (3): 883–8. doi:10.1128/AEM.01124-07. PMC 2227702. PMID 18083868.
Ramos MF, Costa AR, Barandela T, Saraiva A, Rodrigues PN (2007). "Scuticociliate infection and pathology in cultured turbot Scophthalmus maximus from the north of Portugal". Dis. Aquat. Org. 74 (3): 249–53. doi:10.3354/dao074249. PMID 17465310.