Luminous Bacteria Associated with Shrimp Mortality

Luminous disease caused by luminous bacterial infection is currently a significant problem among the Asian countries where marine shrimp is the main aquaculture product. Luminous bacteria isolated from the shrimp farm environment include Vibrio fischeri, V. harveyi, V. cholerae biotype albensis, and Photobacterium leiognathi. Of these, V. harveyi is claimed to be the causative agent associated with shrimp mortality. In hatcheries, its pathogenicity is correlated with the developmental stage of the shrimp larvae. However, successful prophylactic measures have been established. In grow-out ponds, luminous disease frequently causes mortality with 2-3 month old stock of Penaeus monodon and a bacteroiphage of V. harveyi has been implicated in mortality of such shrimp exhibiting tea-brown gill syndrome (TBGS). Chemotherapeutics are more or less effective for controlling the disease but are not effective for curing it. Recent in vitro studies have demonstrated growth inhibition of this bacteria using biological control and the information gained paves the way for further investigations.