SOME SPECIFIC FEATURES OF MARINE GRAM-NEGATIVE AGAR-DIGESTING BACTERIA

Phenotypic, physiological, and biochemical characteristics of marine b acteria, isolated from the marine ascidians Polysyncroton sp., Halocyn thia auranthium, mussel Crenomytilus grayanus and Patinopecten jessoen sis, have been studied. All of these bacteria digested agar, chitin, a nd starch, and synthesized black-brown pigments and various enzymes in cluding DNAases, alkaline phosphatase, and a-galactosidase. The G + C content of DNA was 38-44 mole %. The strains studied differ from well- known species of the genus Alteromonas in digestion and pigmentation. These strains probably belong to new undescribed species.