Studies on the bacterial flora of tubificid worms

Abstract

Study of the bacterial flora of the gut of the turbificid worms has shown that u. v. starilization, serial culturing, and standard bacterial identification procedures can be employed successfully. Eighteen species of bacteria were isolated and identified from the gut of tubificid worms. Eleven of the species were Gram negative which may be reflected in their possible association with chlorogonal cell metabolism in tubificid worms. Of the eighteen species identified our genera and two species are on a similar list produced by Brinkhurst & Chua in an earlier study (1969) of worms from the Great Lakes. None of the organisms identified were other than common to fresh water, organic decay processes or animal digestive systems. Their role in tubificid nutrition is now under study.