Isolation of <i>Phaeobacter</i> sp. from Larvae of Atlantic Bonito (<i>Sarda sarda</i>) in a Mesocosmos Unit, and Its Use for the Rearing of European Seabass Larvae (<i>Dicentrarchus labrax</i> L.)

Abstract

The target of this study was to use indigenous probiotic bacteria in the rearing of seabass larvae. A Phaeobacter sp. strain isolated from bonito yolk-sac larvae (Sarda sarda) and identified by amplification of 16S rDNA showed in vitro inhibition against Vibrio anguillarum. This Phaeobacter sp. strain was used in the rearing of seabass larvae (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) in a large-scale trial. The survival of seabass after 60 days of rearing and the specific growth rate at the late exponential growth phase were significantly higher in the treatment receiving probiotics (p p Vibrio harveyi). Overall, our results showed that the use of an indigenous probiotic strain had a beneficial impact on larval rearing in industry-like conditions.

Keywords

• larviculture
• fish microbiota
• antagonism
• microbiology
• challenge test