Vibrionaceae infection in phyllosomas of the tropical rock lobster, Panulirus ornatus

The total abundance of bacteria and relative abundance of Vibrionaceae cells associated with the larval stage of the tropical rock lobster, Panulirus ornatus, was investigated throughout a 22 day rearing trial using fluorescence in situ hybridisation.Approximately 20 live phyllosomas were randomly taken and removed from the tank on days 0, 2, 4, 7, 10, 14, 18 and 22 during a standard larval-rearing run and processed for FISH analysis. Bacterial abundance, the relative proportion of Vibrionaceae cells detected on external tissue and within the hepatopancreas were enumerated.Mean bacterial counts and the proportion of Vibrionaceae cells comprising the total bacteria were compared over time and analysed for increments of significance. To detect and enumerate total bacteria and Vibrionaceae associated with the larvae of the tropical rock lobster P. ornatus. The first study to provide in situ investigation elucidating the quantitative proliferation of potentially pathogenic bacteria associated with lobster phyllosoma during a larval rearing trial.The image is a photo of Vibrio infection in larval rock lobster tissue. The tissue has been dual hybridised with a vibrio-specific DNA probe (pink) and a bacteria-specific DNA probe (red). The image shows infection by both vibrio bacteria (pink cells) and other unidentified bacteria (red cells). The green is non specific fluorescence from the larval tissue.