A Comparative Study on the Presence of Halophilic Vibrios in Edible Oyster, Crassostrea madrasensis from the Backwaters of Chennai Coast

Vibrios contribute the major part among water and foodborne pathogens in coastal ecosystems. The members of the family Vibrionaceae contribute 60% of the total bacterial population. The current work is aimed at the analysis of the presences of Vibrio species in edible oyster Crassostrea madrasensis along the coastal line of Chennai in Ennore, Royapuram and Muttukadu. The oysters were collected, and total heterotrophic bacteria were analysed using selective non-selective agar medium and further confirmed by biochemical tests. The predominant pathogenic halophilic Vibrio species were identified to generic level according to Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology. Among the Vibrios, Vibrio alginolyticus, V. parahaemolyticus and V. harveyi were the dominant species identified in Crassostrea madrasensis.