SOURAV KUNDU, MAUDY KUMAR SAHU, K. SIVAKUMAR AND L. KANNAN
Abstract
Fishes were collected from the Vellar estuary (Lat. 110 29'N, Long. 79° 46 E), lying along the southeast coast of India for qualitative and quantitative study of actinomycetes isolated from different parts viz. foregut, midgut and hindgut of the alimentary canal. Foregut and midgut harboured maximum population density of actinomycetes. The isolated strains (40) were tested for their extra-cellular enzymatic (amylase, protease, cellulose and lipase) activities. Among the forty strains, six strains viz. EE-10, EE42, EE 18, EE-27, EE-30 and EE-35 which exhibited prominent activities, were selected for identification. The micromorphological observations of the strains revealed that all belong to the genus Streptornyces. Analysis of cell wall components has revealed the wall type - I, typical of the genus Streptomyces. Hence, the morphological, micromorphological, physiological and biochemical results obtained for the extra-cellular enzymes producing strains were compared with those of the Streptomyces species given in the key of Nonomura (1974) and Bergey's Manual of Determinative Bacteriology and were identified as Streptomyces rintosus (EE-10), S. albus (EE-12), S. chattanoogenesis (EE-18), S. galbus (EE-27), S. olivoviridis (EE-30) and S. scabies (EE-35).