| Information available on the association of luminous bacteria with marine invertebrates is limited. Hence qualitative and quantitative investigations were undertaken with a view to understand the distribution of luminous microflora in relation to the environmental factors and also in the gut of two marine gastropods, Aplysia benedicti Eliot and Bullia tranquebarica (Roding) from Porto Novo (11 degree 29'N, 79 degree 46'E) waters of the East coast of India. The gut of the gastropods harboured maximum number of luminous bacteria when compared to the water and sediment. Qualitative analysis revealed the presence of two luminous bacterial components, viz. Vibrio harveyi and V. fishceri. V. fischeri was not found in association with A. benedicti . The isolates... |
