Isolation and characterization of Pseudomonas sp. KUMS3 from Asian sea bass (Lates calcarifer) with fin rot

Bacteria were isolated from Asian Sea bass, Lates calcarifer kept in a farm, on the South-east coast of India. During an outbreak of fin rot, the affected fish had hemorrhages at the base of fins, mouth and skin muscles and faded pigments. Pure colonies were isolated on NA and ZMA from internal organs of the fish and the bacterial morphology was identified as gram-negative rod-shaped bacteria. Based on different biochemical tests and sequence of 16S rDNA, the causative bacteria were identified as Pseudomonas sp. KUMS3. Bacterial cells were isolated from liver and kidney of all artificially infected moribund fish and confirmed as Pseudomonas sp. KUMS3 by morphological and biochemical characteristics. During the experimental infection, the first incidence of dead fish was observed on 2nd day after exposure to Pseudomonas sp. KUMS3 and no fish died after 12 days post exposure and the cumulative percent of mortality was 70. Histological lesions were observed in the spleen, liver and kidney of the infected fish. Pseudomonas sp. KUMS3 could be considered as an opportunistic pathogen, which can survive on the fish surface or in water or in the gut and may cause disease when unfavorable conditions develop.