Phenotypic diversity amongst Vibrio isolates from marine aquaculture systems

A total number of 1473 Vibrio isolates were collected from different aquaculture systems in many countries. Isolates were obtained from bivalves (mussels, scallops, oysters), shrimp and fish, sea urchins, live feed (algae, Artemia, rotifers), seaweed, aquaculture market products and from the aquaculture environment (tank water, seawater, sediments). Eggs, healthy and diseased or dead larvae, and adult organisms were sampled from cold-water species and moderate- to warm-water species. All isolates were phenotypically characterized using the Biolog GN technique. Eighty-nine different clusters were obtained, of these clusters, only 33 were identified comprehending 992 isolates. The remaining 56 groups did not cluster with any of the included type strains and remained unidentified. Seventy-eight isolates did not cluster with any other strain. It was shown that the Vibrio genus is a phenotypically diverse group making the identification with the Biolog system difficult and unreliable. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V All rights reserved.