Abstract
This study characterises the bacteria associated with a marine hatchery in Tunisian coastal marine waters. Presumptive vibrios (TCBS agar) and heterotrophic aerobic microflora (CFU) were studied at different stages within the hatchery: seawater, batches of algal cultures, rotifers andArtemia culture tanks. The bacterial strains were isolated on TCBS Agar plates and described using different bacteriological tests (standardised micromethods “API 20 E Strips”, exoenzymes production, growth at different temperatures, pH and salinity, vibriostatic agent O/129 and antibiotics susceptibility). Two dominant genera of bacteria were found (Vibrio andAeromonas) associated with some strains of thePseudomonadaceae family.Vibrio alginolyticus was the dominant bacteria (75% of total isolates) found in rotifers (Brachionus plicatilis) andArtemia cultures (Artemia salina). In larvae rearing tanks, an increase ofVibrionaceae was noted after larvae were fed withArtemia. Most of the studied bacteria used the skin mucus ofSparus aurata larvae as their sole source of carbon. All theV. alginolyticus strains were β-haemolytic, hydrolyse the DNA and were susceptible to several tested antibiotics.
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