412 Marine Microbiology 



Pseudomonodaceae 



a. Chromogenic Pseudomonas producing fluorescent pig- 

 ments. Origins: muds, fishes and shellfish. Number of strains: 15. 



b. Achromohactereae ( non-pigmented, motile) Origins : 

 muds, sea water (Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean), fishes and 

 shellfish. Number of strains: 43. 



Proteolytic: 25 (59%) 



Nitrate reducing: 19 (45%) 



Both activities: 13 (30%) 



c. Acinetobacter (non-pigmented, non motile) Origin: sea 

 water, mud, shellfish. Number of strains: 15. 



Proteolytic: 3 (20%) 



Nitrate reducing: 4 (25%) 



Both activities: 3 (20%) 



d Erwinia (non-pigmented, motile, gas producing) Origin: 

 muds, fishes and shellfish (France, Algeria, Madagascar, New 

 Caledonia). Number of strains: 29. 



Proteolytic: 19 (65%) 



Nitrate reducing: 27 (93%) 



Both activities: 17 (58%) 



e. Chromobactereae (Chromogen with non-diffusible pig- 

 ment) {Flavobacterium, Empedobacter) Origin: sea water, 

 shellfish. Number of strains: 15. 



Among the 131 studied strains, the highest proteolytic 

 activity was observed for Chromobactereae, Erwinia and Vibrio 

 organisms, and then, in a decreasing order, for Achrojnobacter 

 and Acinetobacter. The denitrifying organisms belong mostly to 

 the genera Erwinia (93%) and Pseudomonas (79%) and at a lesser 

 extent to the genus Vibrio. Moreover, the organisms having both 

 proteolytic and nitrate reducing activities belong mostly to 



