Microbial Flora in mucoidal discharge of cultured green Mussel, <i>Perna viridis</i> Linnaeus

Abstract

Seven microbial colonies were isolated from <i>P. viridis</i> and identified a genera of <i>Serratia, Escherichia, Salmonella, Aerobacter, Shigella</i> and an unknown genus of bacteria probably related to <i>Clostridium</i> and <i>Pseudomonas</i>, based on their morphological appearances and biochemical characteristics. The relative abundance of these isolated organisms was in the order of <i>Escherichia < Shigella < Aerobacter < Salmonella < Serratia</i>. Indirectly the mechanisms of discharging microbial flora together with the mucoidal discharge reflected the capability of the green mussel in eliminating ingested microbial organisms in the form of mucoidal discharge/pseudofaeces.