Identification of the intestinal microbial community of Glossoscolecidae earthworms (Annelida: Oligochaeta)

Abstract :

Earthworms play an important role in soil ecology. Their actions are favored by the activity of the microbial communities that inhabit the alimentary canal of these organisms. The main aim of this work was the identification of the microbial flora of the alimentary canal of native earthworms species of Glossoscolecidae (Enantiodrilus borelli and Pontoscolex corethrurus) of the Neotropical region. The animals were collected in Chicligasta, Tucumán, Argentina. The alimentary canal was removed by dissection and later macerated in physiologic solution. The stumps were isolated and identified by standard microbiological procedures on the bases of their morphological and biochemical characteristics. Twelve samples were isolated and ten identified, among them Marinococcus sp., Caryophanon sp., Planococcus sp., two stumps of Oscillospira sp., Bacillus sp., two stumps of Pseudomonas sp., Acidiphilium sp., Azomonas sp. These earthworms were found to have a wide and diverse microbial flora in the alimentary canal, with both, endogenous communities and some that entered the worm by ingestion


Keyword :

Intestinal microorganisms, diversity, mutualism, Glossoscolecidae, soil


Author(s) : Picón, M. C., Teisaire, E. S.
Downloads : 1841
Published Issue : 2012 Vol. 7 Number 2


2012 Vol. 7 Number 2