Strains of Aeromonas spp. (883) were isolated from 10 stations in the north-west of Spain. Biotyping of the strains gave: 55% Aeromonas caviae, 34% A. hydrophila, 6% A. sobria and 5% Aeromonas spp. Phenotypic characters that have been claimed to be related to virulence such as haemolysis and the Voges-Proskauer reaction were detected mostly in A. hydrophila and A. sobria. The distribution of the species was significantly related to levels of faecal pollution in waters. Aeromonas caviae predominated in sewage and waters with a high degree of faecal pollution. In less polluted waters, either fresh or marine, A. caviae and A. hydrophila were almost equally distributed. In waters with low or no faecal pollution, the proportion of A. sobria to other species increased considerably.

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A new method was developed for the isolation and enumeration of Bifidobacterium spp. from natural aquatic environments. The method was based on the utilization of a new medium, Bifidobacterium iodoacetate medium 25, and resuscitation techniques were used to isolate injured bifidobacteria. The new medium was tested with a nonselective reference medium on sewage and sewage-polluted surface waters. Relatively little colonial growth of any other bacterial genera occurred; when such colonies did grow, Bifidobacterium could be easily differentiated by its colonial morphology or, after Gram staining, by its typical bifidobacterial morphology.

A possible correlation between the presence of mesophilic aeromonads and the number of faecal coliforms present in three fresh‐water habitats subject to differing levels of faecal pollution was investigated. Concentration of Aeromonas spp. between 102–109 cfu/100 ml and faecal coliforms of between 9–107 cfu/100 ml were found in the waters. In water free from faecal pollution there was no correlation but in polluted waters there was a significant relationship between the numbers of aeromonads, faecal coliform and the concentration of organic matter measured by biological oxygen demand.

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