370 IMPORTANT VARIETIES OF FISSION-FUNGI. 



Vibrio albensis. Lehm. and Neum. 



(Plate 54.) 



Synonyms. — Phosphorescent Elbe vibrio of Kutscher, 

 Dunbar. 



A detailed description is unnecessary in the face of the fact that the 

 best judges of the photogenic vibrios do not presume to differentiate 

 them morphologically from those of cholera. Our cultures show very 

 constantly — as they are usually described — luxuriant growth, vigorous 

 liquefaction in the stab canal, pellicle formation on bouillon, and vig- 

 orous indol reaction. The gelatin plate colonies we were unable to 

 certainly distinguish from cholera (54, vi). We often observed in 

 old superficial gelatin plate coloaies a pretty circle of hairs, as is pre- 

 sented by many vigorously liquefying varieties, but which we have 

 never met with in the cholera vibrio. In the six cultures of photo- 

 genic Elbe vibrios obtained, the phosphorescence was vigorous, but 

 often, through insufficiently frequent transfer to fresh nutrient media, 

 it was completely lost, and in some experiments it could not be re- 

 gained by employing herring nutrient medium. Marpmann refers the 

 phosphorescence to the formation of phosphoretted hydrogen. 



Judging from the descriptions, a number of photogenic 

 inhabitants of the sea, described as bacilli or photobac- 

 teria, appear very closely related to the Vibrio albensis. 

 We may place them here, naturally without expressing 

 ourselves as to how far they are different ' ' species. ' ' 



Vibrio indicus (Beij.) Lehm. and Neum. Bacillus phosphores- 

 cens Fischer ( non Bacterium phosphorescens Fischer, which is found 

 on page 231). Photobacterium indicum Beijerinck (non Bacillus 

 indicus Koch, which is found on page 274). West Indian photogenic 

 bacillus. The gelatin plate and stab cultures are described as like 

 cholera throughout; the liquefaction is intense. Microscopically: 

 small rods, two or three times as long as thick, very often in pairs, 

 more rarely threads. In chlorid of sodium milk, screw forms occur. 

 Active serpentine motion. The light is bluish-white and intense. 

 Minimum, 15°; optimum, 30°-35°; maximum not much higher. 

 According to Beijerinck, it is also able to emit light upon non-sacchar- 

 ine nutrient media, but also does so with the addition of a little 

 sugar. 



Katz considers the Bac. cyaneophosphorescens Katz, obtained 

 from Australian seas, to be closely related (C. B. ix, 156 l ). Ac- 

 cording to Katz, however, this organism occurs as straight motile rods 

 and curved non-motile threads. 



1 In the same place Katz has also described completely four other 

 "varieties": Bacillus argenteophosphorescens I, II, III, and arg.- 

 phosphorescens liquefaciens. They appear in part to be also vibri- 

 ones. 



