Journal of Marine Science: Research & Development
Open Access

Abstract

Background: Studies regarding the existence of bioluminescent bacteria within organisms are very limited, considering the need to contribute more detailed data about the bacterial identities in Philippine aquaculture. The most abundant and widely distributed light emitting organism is luminous bacteria, and this will be found as free-living in the ocean, as gut symbionts in the digestive tracts of marine fish, as parasites in crustacean and insects, as light organ symbionts in teleost fish and also as saprophytes growing on dead fish or meat. Objective: This study is aimed to identify different Philippine marine fishes with bioluminescent bacteria symbiont. Subjects: Subjects of the study were collected from two sampling sites in Luzon; Roxas, Oriental Mindoro and Bolinao, Pangasinan, using appropriate culture media, careful isolation by swabbing on the eyes, skin, stomach and gut parts and proper inoculation techniques. Results: Results showed that bioluminescent bacteria are present in the gut part of all the seventeen marine fishes collected. The bioluminescent bacteria isolated from the skin, eyes and stomach part are also deemed to be present but not in all of the fishes collected. Conclusion: The Philippines, being the “center of the center” of marine diversity, is also a home of bioluminescent bacteria from marine fishes, as proven in this study.

Biography

Email: leonil_anthony1996@yahoo.com