Studies on marine flavobacteria.

SUMMARY: Sixty-two pigmented strains, 61 of which had been classified as Flavobacterium species by the workers who isolated them, were studied, Morphological, cultural, environmental, biochemical and nutritional studies confirmed that 32 non-motile strains were Flavobucterizcm species; 21 strains were reclassified as presumptive Cytophaga species and the remaining 8 strains were ascribed to the genera Pseudomonas, Vibrio or Corynebacterium, or were unclassifiable. A new genus is suggested for the peritrichous flagellated organisms, previously included in the genus Flavobacterium. Both the flavobacteria and the cytophagas were found to have many properties in common. Satisfactory methods of differentiating between representatives of these genera were limited to the swarming ability and greater heat resistance of the latter. Of the 52 non-motile Flavobacterium strains, 18 were divisible into two well defined groups (? species) and the remainder were a heterogeneous collection. The 22 Cytophaga strains were also divisible into two groups (? species). The possibility of a relationship existing between flavobacteria and cytophagas is discussed briefly.