The chemical and microbiological changes during spontaneous budu fermentation were elucidated on monthly basis (1-12 months). A signifi cant increase (P<0.05) in pH, acidity, soluble protein, total protein, and moisture content was observed during budu fermentation, except for the fat content. The total microbial load decreased gradually from the initial of 6.13±0.01 to 3.45±0.13 log CFU g -1 after 12 months of fermentation. Overall, 150 isolates were identifi ed, with a majority of bacteria (77%), followed by yeasts (12%) and 11% of unconfi rmed species. Micrococcus luteus was the predominant strain that initiated the fermentation before it was replaced by Staphylococcus arlettae that exists throughout the fermentation. This study confi rmed that lactic acid bacteria and yeasts often coexist with other microorganisms, even though a microbiological succession usually takes place both between and within species, which shaped the chemical and sensory characteristics of the fi nal product. In addition, some of the isolates could be potentially valuable as starter cultures for further improved and controllable budu fermentation.Keywords: budu fermentation, fi sh sauce, microbial succession, diversity, spontaneous fermentation Fish sauce is a clear brown liquid seasoning produced via fermentation of heavily salted fi sh materials in most of the Southeast Asia countries. It is widely used as salt replacer or fl avour enhancer in most prepared foods and sauces of Japanese and western markets, resulting from a balance of amino acids and high quantities of peptides (FUKAMI et al., 2004). However, due to its distinctive odour, the application is restricted to home cooked foods and prepared foods. It has various names depending on the country from which it is produced, such as nampla (Thailand), bakasang (Indonesia), yu-lu (China), patis (Philippines), ngapi (Burma), shotshuru (Japan), aekjeot (Korea), and budu (Malaysia). Many studies related to fi sh sauce fermentation and products were conducted, including the reduction of histamine in fi sh sauce using rice bran nuka (KUDA & MIYAWAKI, 2010); controlled fermentation of chum salmon sauce using starter cultures (YOSHIKAWA et al., 2010), and the production of plaa-som (Thai light fermented fi sh product) using lactic acid bacteria (LAB) starters (SAITONG et al., 2010). Fish proteins are gradually hydrolysed by both bacterial and fi sh proteinases during fermentation. This process relies on natural fortuitous microorganisms with strong degradation and hydrolysis capabilities, including Bacillus, Micrococcus, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, and halophilic lactic acid bacteria (THONGTHAI et al., 1992). These bacteria could play a signifi cant role in the bioconversion of fi sh substrate into fi sh sauce with delighted colour, fl avour, and aroma. However, the inconsistent product quality and extremely long fermentation time are among the factors that limit the growth of fi sh sauce industries. Many attempts have been made