Halofolliculina corallasia is a
heterotrich ciliate identified as a cause of the syndrome called
Skeletal Eroding Band (SEB). It is the first coral disease pathogen that is a
protozoan as well as the first known to be an
eucaryote; all others identified are
bacteria. Like other members of the folliculinid
family,
H. corallasia is
sessile and lives in a "house" called a
lorica, into which the cell can retreat when disturbed. The mouth is flanked by a pair of wing-like projections that are fringed with
polykinetids, groups of
cilia that work in groups to produce a current that draws food into the "mouth".