Molecular analysis of the intestinal bacterial flora in cage‐cultured adult small abalone,Haliotis diversicolor

To characterize the composition of the intestinal bacterial flora in cage‐cultured adult small abalone, Haliotis diversicolor, we used both culture‐dependent and culture‐independent approaches. In addition, in order to investigate the presence of probable pathogens, the intestinal bacterial community structures of healthy and diseased adult abalones were compared using the denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) fingerprinting technique. Bacteria isolated from the healthy abalone intestine belonged to the genera Vibrio, Flammeovirga, Shewanella, Persicobacter and Paraferrimonas. From the 16S rRNA gene clone library analysis, the intestinal bacterial community comprised two groups: the Proteobacteria and Tenericutes. Betaproteobacteria (18.48%), Deltaproteobacteria (30.43%) and Mollicutes (35.87%) were the most dominant components in the clones and the Mollicutes were mainly Mycoplasma‐affiliated clones. The DGGE band pattern demonstrated that more bands appeared in the healthy abalones (H group) than in the diseased abalones (D group). Although few potential pathogens were detected from the D group, a clustering dendrogram indicated that individuals of the H and D groups (except for D6) formed two separate clusters. An unidentified Deltaproteobacteria species and Mycoplasma sp. were the dominant components in the intestine of both the H and the D group.