975-981The present study investigated luminous bacterial species composition from non-bioluminescent big fin reef squid, Sepioteuthis lessoniana for the first time and revealed a new insight on the occurrence of five distinct luminous bacterial species such as Vibrio harveyi, V. campbellii, V. vulnificus, V. alginolyticus and Photobacterium damselae indicating the association of non-species specific luminous bacterial composition in S. lessoniana. Fourteen potential luminescent bacterial strains were isolated from S. lessoniana and identified based on morphological and biochemical tests. Majority of the isolates had produced industrially important extracellular enzymes- protease, chitinase and lipases. Antibiogram assay revealed that majority of the isolates were sensitive to various antibiotics and resistant to Ampicillin and Penicillin. While isolates CS1S and CS5S were sensitive to Ampicillin and Penicillin; and CS4G was sensitive to Penicillin. The present study is the first report to demonstrate luminous bacterial species diversity and extracellular enzyme production capabilities, and their antibiogram profile from big fin reef squid S. lessoniana
