Bacterial diversity of total heterotrophic bacteria in cultured African walking catfish (Clarias gariepinus) in Chachoengsao Province

Abstract

The distribution of total heterotrophic bacteria in 14 samples of cultured African walking
catfish (Clarias gariepinus) in Chachoengsao province, Thailand, during October to December 2008
was investigated. The average of total heterotrophic bacteria numbers from the skin, intestine and
fish meat were 3.00 ?? 1.50 x106 CFU/cm2, 5.82 ?? 2.00 x106 CFU/g and 10.57 ?? 3.60 x102 CFU/g,
respectively. Aeromonas eucrenophila, A. veronii, Bacillus sphaericus, Pseudomonas putida,
Alicyclobacillus acidocaldarius and Chryseobacterium meningosepticum were found from all tested
samples. The predominant bacterial species from skin and fish meat was A. veronii while C.
meningosepticum was dominant in the intestine. Moreover, B. laterosporus and B. megaterium were
found from the fish skin. Pseudomonas luteola were found only from fish meat and P. fluorescens
were found only from the intestine.

Keywords: Clarias gariepinus, Total heterotrophic bacteria