Isolation and Identification of Silver Carp ( Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) culture ponds water and sediment bacterial flora

Subject Areas : Applied Microbiology

Mehran Avakh Keysami ¹ , Ali Mohammadpour ² , Mohammad Rahanandeh ³ , Afshar Zoughi shalmani ⁴

1 - Aquatics and Fisheries Research Department, Gilan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Rasht, Iran.
2 - Environmental research Department, Guilan Environmental General Office of Environment, Iranian Environment Organisation, Rasht, Iran.
3 - Aquatics and Fisheries Research Department, Gilan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Rasht, Iran.
4 - Aquatics and Fisheries Research Department, Gilan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Rasht, Iran

Received: 2025-06-02 Accepted : 2025-06-02 Published : 2025-06-02

Keywords: pond sediment, bacterial flora, silver carp, brood stock,

Abstract :

In silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) farming, due to their purifying feeding method, infectious diseases caused by bacteria are one of the important causes of mortality. The aim of this study was to isolate and identify the bacterial flora of water and sediment in silver carp farming ponds in Rasht. In order to isolate and identify bacterial flora, preliminary and differential microbial culture was performed on water and sediment from 4 farms with silver carp brood stock (5.76 ± 0.99 kg). The grown samples were re-cultured, purified, and their properties were examined and studied based on the chemical test table and identified to the species level. No significant differences were observed in the physicochemical variables of the water of the sampled fields and the bacterial count of the water of the ponds. After isolation and determination of morphological and biochemical characteristics, 11 genera of bacteria were isolated. The most abundant of which were the genera Bacillus, Aeromonas, and Pseudomonas, although opportunistic and generalist Gram-positive samples such as Micrococcus sp. and Staphylococcus sp. were also observed. The difference in the density of gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria isolated from the samples was not significant. Although many of the bacteria isolated in this study are known to be pathogenic, they are not primary pathogens and are considered part of the natural micro flora within and on the bodies of aquatic animals and in freshwater environments. However, they can become pathogenic under conditions of stress and compromised immune systems.

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