Substrate degradation and pressure tolerance of free-living and attached bacterial populations in the intestines of shallow-water fish.

Bacterial populations attached to intestinal linings of shallow-water fish were compared to those free in the lumen for response to hydrostatic pressure and ability to degrade a variety of substrates. Results suggested that, unlike reports on gut-associated deep-sea bacteria, the two shallow-water populations were not significantly different in their pressure or substrate responsiveness.