Pathogenic Vibrio isolates from cultured seabass (Lates calcarifer), groupers (Epinephelus spp.) and red snappers (Lutjanus spp.)

Heavy mortality of cultured seabass (Lates calcarifer), groupers (Epinephelus spp.) and snappers (Lutjanus spp.) due to bacterial infection is a common problem in Malaysia. All the three species exhibited a wide range of clinical signs in the presence of suspected Vibrio spp. infection. Early stages of infection in the three cultured species ranged from abnormal body color change, poor swimming activity and feeding, and erythema and hemorrhage in and around the mouth and at the base of fins. Advance stages of infections showed petechiae and ulcerative haemorrhagic lesions. This study was carried out to isolate the various pathogenic Vibrio spp. affecting the cultured finfish and to differentiate their strains by morphological, physiological and biochemical characters