Response of enteric luminous bacteria to environmental conditions in the gut of the fish.

The response of luminous bacterial cultures to conditions encountered in the fish gut such as neutral pH, the presence of bile salts, gastric juice and lysozyme was examined. The organisms preferred neutral pH. Bile salts did not inhibit their growth. Neither lysozyme nor gastric juice affected their growth and viability to any extent. In the light of these findings, the adaptability of luminous bacteria to conditions existing in the gut of fish was discussed.