A Study of Chitin-decomposing Micro-organisms of Marine Origin

Summary: Twenty strains of aerobic, facultatively anaerobic, chitinoclastic bacteria have been isolated from marine mud by enrichment cultures. Each was able to derive its full carbon and nitrogen requirements from chitin. None was an obligate chitinovor. These cultures comprised four new species of Acnromobacter, two new species of Pseudomonas, one new species of Flavobacterium and one new species of Micrococcus. Detailed descriptions for each species are appended. Each organism was able to liberate ammonia and reducing sugar from the chitin molecule. Glucosamine and acetic acid were not detected in the cultures, possibly because of their ready availability as supplementary nutrients.