Microbial community dynamics in a larval aquaculture system of the ornate rock lobster, Panulirus ornatus

This study examined microbial infestation of phyllosomas, including proliferation of bacteria in the hepatopancreas and heavy external fouling of appendages and cuticle with filamentous bacteria and sessile protozoa.Culture- and molecular-based microbial community analysis was performed on the water column, tank biofilm and whole phyllosomas of standard larval-rearing environments.Scanning electron microscopy confirmed fouling by filamentous bacteria of at least two morphological types and also fouling by rod-shaped bacteria.Phyllosoma survival as a percentage of the whole population (measured over 3 separate standard larval-rearing trials) were calculated from daily counts of dead animals siphoned from the bottom of each larval-rearing tank. No correlation between bacterial numbers (measured as colony-forming units mL-1) and phyllosoma mortalities was established. To investigate the microbiological and histopathological factors affecting early stage phyllosomas. Phylogenetic closest relative identities (and GenBank accession number): Alcanivorax sp. EPR 27 W (AY394880); Desulfobulbus mediterraneus (AF354663); Marine bacterium ATAM407_56 (AF359535); Methylophaga buryatica (AY128533); Methylophaga sulfidovorans (MS16SRB1S); Sulfitobacter sp. GAI-37 (AF007260); Thiothrix sp. B2-8 (AB042537); Uncultured bacterium clone CR98-35-21 (AF428903); Uncultured bacterium ECS1 (AB041271); Uncultured Crater Lake bacterium CL500-55 (AF316693); Uncultured gamma Proteobacterium Sva0862 (UGA240968); Uncultured Pirellula clone 6O13 (AF029077); Vibrio sp. PH1 (AF513461).