Studies on Marine Agar-Digesting Bacteria

Abstract

Seven spp. of agar-digesting bacteria were isolated from seawater and other marine habitats on the California coast. 5 new spp. are descr. Vibrio beijerinckii, V. fuscus, Pseudomonas irides-cens, Cytophaga diffluens and C. krzemieniewskae. The previous descriptions of 2 other species are augmented. The standard methods used for determining carbohydrate utilization (acid and gas production) are shown to give fallacious results when used with strictly aerobic bacteria. and it is suggested that other techniques, descr. in the text, should be used. The problem of the specificity of marine bacteria is considered in connection with the present work, which has shown that among agar-digesting bacteria there is a sharp distinction between terrestrial and marine forms. The taxonomy of aerobic polysaccharide decomposing bacteria is discussed, and the elimination of such physiological genera as Cellvibrio and Cellulomonas is proposed.