Luminous microflora associated with the fishes Mugil cephalus and Tachysurus arius

1574-6968

Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005

Biology

Abstract Luminous bacteria harboured in the skin, gill and gut of the fishes Mugil cephalus and Tachysurus arius were studies. Within the gut, the distribution of bacteria was studied regionwise, i.e., foregut, midgut and hindgut. In M. cephalus, maximum luminous bacterial population density was observed in the hindgut and minimum was found in the foregut. In T. arius, maximum luminous bacterial population density was recorded in the hindgut and minimum was found in the midgut. Luminous microflora associated with the host showed seasonal variation. Bacterial load of the surrounding medium and type of food governed the distribution of luminous microbiota in fish. Vibrio harveyi and V. fischeri were the two species identified, the former accounting for the majority of the isolates.

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