Detection of methanogenic archaea in seawater particles and the digestive tract of a marine fish species

A methanogen-specific nested PCR approach was used to detect methanogenic a rchaea in seawater particles of the North Sea and the feces and the digesti ve tract of flounder (Platichthys flesus), a fish found in the North Sea. A number of 16S rDNA sequences with 97.6-99.5% similarity to Methanococcoide s methylutens were found in the seawater particles as well as the digestive tract and fecal samples. (C) 1999 Federation of European Microbiological S ocieties. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.