Microbial diversity and enzyme production in mullet Mugil cephalus L. (Pisces) along Goa, west coast of India

Abstract

Twelve bacterial species were isolated from different organs of the mullets. A comparative analysis of different bacterial communities isolated from surface, gills and intestinal tract showed significantly diverse population with reference to different groups and density. During present investigations, some of the important microbial groups occurred in the different regions of the Mugil cephalus were Pseudomonas sp., Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Serratia sp., Azotobacter sp., Streptococcus sp., Proteus vulgaris, Planococcus sp., Bacillus subtilis and Serratia marescens. Further study on production of enzyme in the gut content suggested that proteolytic and amylolytic activity were of elevated level, thus emphasizing that these microbial communities do play an important role in promoting efficient food utilization among mullets.