Poster Presentations

Session Title: The Animal Microbiome
Presentation Date: Monday, August 18, 2008
Poster Board Number: 0370

DEVELOPMENT OF PROBIOTICS FOR USE IN LARVAL REARING SYSTEMS OF THE ORNATE ROCK LOBSTER PANULIRUS ORNATUS

E. Goulden¹, M. Wietz¹, M. Hall¹, D. Bourne¹, L. Pereg-Gerk², L. Høj^1
1Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Australia, ²University of New England, Armidale, Australia

The ornate rock lobster Panulirus ornatus has been identified as a candidate species for aquaculture but current larval (phyllosoma) rearing attempts are suppressed by high attrition rates and mass mortality events. Traditionally, the use of chemotherapeutical agents such as antibiotics has been a common disease management strategy in aquaculture but concerns about resistance development and residues in the final product has motivated the search for alternative approaches. One such approach is the use of probiotics, which is defined as an entire or component(s) of a microorganism that is beneficial to the health of the host. Preliminary studies showed encouraging signs for the potential use of probiotics in P. ornatus larviculture, with the detection of reputed probiotics such as Roseobacter spp., Vibrio alginolyticus and Pseudoalteromonas spp. in the larval rearing system, in wild-caught larvae and in putative natural prey items. A broad-scale screening of candidate strains have therefore been initiated using an in vitro based approach. Assays were designed to investigate antagonistic activity, suppressive activity, and competitive potential against V. harveyi-related strains pathogenic to phyllosoma. Strains showing probiotic potential will be included in survival bioassays to test whether they can confer a survival benefit for phyllosoma challenged with known pathogens. The dynamics of probiotic and pathogenic populations in terms of mode of establishment and rate of loss will be monitored using molecular methods in order to develop successful probiotic administration strategies. In addition, substances with inhibitory effects towards the pathogenic V. harveyi strains will be isolated and characterised.