Phenotypic characterization ofBeneckea anguillara biotypes I and II

Twenty-five strains of marine bacteria pathogenic for fish, which had been shown by means of in vitro DNA/DNA hybridization to comprise two biotypes of the speciesBeneckea anguillara, were subjected to a phenotypic characterization. A numerical analysis of the data segregated the strains into two phenotypically distinct clusters coincident with the biotypes established by DNA homology studies. The two biotypes were distinguishable fromPhotobacterium and other species ofBeneckea by a number of unrelated phenotypic properties.