Isolation of Aerobic Bacteria Flora in the Gills and Gastrointestinal Tract of Culturable Freshwater Fish from Ogbia Bayelsa State

Abstract

Fish is in high demand as food, food additives, and supplements as they are a rich source of carbon, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. Fish has been established to possess bacterial populations on or in their skin, gills, digestive tract, etc. with their microbial diversity often reflecting the bacterial populations of the surrounding water which are either allochthonous or allochthonous. This study isolated and enumerated aerobic bacteria flora in the gastrointestinal tract and gills of four culturable freshwater fish (Silver catfish, Tilapia, Clarias, and Heterobranchus). These species of cultural freshwater fish were obtained and each adult specie held in a separate glass containing unchlorinated water and transferred to the laboratory. The quantitative and qualitative estimation of the bacteria flora present in the gill and Gastro-Intestinal Tract (GIT) of fish were investigated. The Mean total plate count on Nutrient Agar (NA), Blood Agar (BA), MacConkey Agar (MCA), Cysteine-Lactose-Electrolyte-Deficient Agar, (CLED Agar) and Salmonella – Shigella Agar (SSA) was found to be 60 and 40 CFU, 150 and 80 CFU, 100 and 90 CFU and 80 and 70 CFU respectively. Most of the isolates were of public significance. The results showed that fish contains a large number of microbiotas which may play a role in nutrition and health.