A Comparative Assessment of Morphometrics and Bacterial Assemblages of Crassostrea gasar (Oyster) from Riparian Swampy Areas of the Lagos Lagoon, Nigeria

Abstract

The presence, type and quantity of these microbes on freshly harvested sea-foods are majorly determined by the season (dry or wet), type of water (freshwater, brackish or marine), location (proximity to point of release of contaminants), source of pollution (human or industrial), and the water physico-chemistry (temperature, salinity, turbidity, hydrogen ion, etc.) parameters, while the abundance of bacteria and/or microbes found in aquatic entities depends majorly on fish genera, feeding practices, internal and external factors, including effects from seasonal and ecological properties. 5 Shellfishes obtain microbial organisms in their gastrointestinal bands from their environment through ingested food and that are infested by microorganisms. 6 Microbial species isolated from majority of the fish gastrointestinal tracts are documented to be aerobic or facultative anaerobic species such as Staphylococcus aureus, Esch erichia coli,Aeromonas sp., Salmonella sp., Enterococcus faecalis, Yersinia sp. and Vibrio cholerae. 6,7,8 Nonetheless, an accurate grasp of the movement of these micro-organisms within the food chains and webs is crucial to envisage the experience(s) of final consumers of these seafoods to the possible and potential well-being allied with their ingestion. These pathogenic organisms are found attached to different parts of these animals (flesh, buccal cavity, gill/gill rakers) that are wholly or subliminally interacting with the aquatic column and sediments. 9,6,10 Consequently, elevated pathogenic bacteria have been isolated from fins and shellfish, which can cause diseases in fish as well as in the final consumer. 11 Mangrove oysters are sedentary aquatic organisms that are reliant on filtering water from their environment to obtain nutrients.