Identification of opportunistic pathogens of sea cucumber (Apostichopus japonicus), cultivated in the Primorsky Territory
Microorganisms associated with diseases of sea cucumber, cultivated in the Primorsky Territory were studied by microbiological and molecular methods. Isolated from pathological material bacterial cultures were identified as Bacillus licheniformis, Ruegeria mobilis, Pseudomonas alcaligenes, Pseudomonas sp., Moraxella sp., Vibrio sp., Alteromonas sp., Pseudoalteromonas nigrifaciens and Cobetia marina. Biotesting experiment of these strains supported the hypothesis that microorganisms that cause bacterial diseases of sea cucumber are typical representatives of opportunistic microflora of water microbiocenoses. They are widely distributed in the marine environment and are not capable to infect healthy animals. The conditions for realizing the potential of their pathogenicity can be eutrophication of water environment, high density planting of mariculturants and, as a consequence, decreasing of immunity of aquatic organisms.