Vibrio rotiferianus

Overview

Vibrio rotiferianus is an emerging Gram-negative marine bacterium recognized as a significant pathogen in aquaculture systems worldwide. Part of the Vibrio harveyi clade, this bacterium causes infections and mortality across a diverse range of marine hosts including fish, shellfish, shrimp, scallops, and seahorses. Originally associated with rotifer cultures, V. rotiferianus has gained attention as aquaculture operations expand globally, with outbreaks linked to environmental factors such as temperature fluctuations and organic loading.

Affected species (hosts)

Marine Fish:

Trachinotus ovatus (pompano) – severe pathology and mortality
Black rockfish (Sebastes schlegelii) – skin ulcer disease
Seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) – aquaculture outbreaks
Seahorses (Hippocampus erectus) – tail-rot disease

Shellfish and Crustaceans:

Pacific white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) – vibriosis outbreaks
Scallop larvae (Spondylus limbatus) – hatchery mortality
Oyster larvae – larval mortality
Various UK shellfish species

Other Marine Organisms:

Rotifers (Brachionus plicatilis) – culture contamination
Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) – lesion formation
Linckia guildingi starfish – transmissible infections

Antibiotic Resistance and Treatment Challenges

β-lactam Resistance. Genomic analysis reveals that V. rotiferianus strains commonly carry β-lactam resistance genes, making standard penicillin-based treatments ineffective. This resistance pattern has been documented across multiple geographic regions and host species.

Variable Antibiotic Sensitivity. While some strains show resistance to commonly used antibiotics like amoxicillin, others demonstrate sensitivity to a broader range of antimicrobials. Seahorse isolates have shown sensitivity to 17 different antibiotics, suggesting strain-specific variation in resistance patterns.

Virulence Factor Diversity. Genome sequencing has identified up to 74 virulence factors in some V. rotiferianus strains, contributing to their pathogenic potential across diverse host species. These factors likely contribute to the bacterium’s ability to cause severe pathology in multiple marine taxa.

Environmental Persistence. The bacterium’s ability to persist in aquaculture environments and rotifer cultures suggests robust environmental survival capabilities, making prevention and control particularly challenging in closed aquaculture systems.

Management and Prevention Strategies

Prevention. Quarantine new fish for 2-4 weeks minimum in isolated, pathogen- and parasite-free quarantine systems.

Testing. Test new arrivals in the QT to make sure they’re pathogen-free before introducing them to your display.

Maintain stable conditions. V. rotiferianus outbreaks are associated with stress conditions, so minimizing stress helps reduce this risk.

Try probiotics: There is some evidence that Bacillus or Pseudoalteromonas-containing probiotics helps in larval culture. You might explore any aquarium products containing these groups.

If you must use antibiotics: Most Vibrio species are susceptible to Ciprofloxacin. Also consider Oxalinic Acid. But first see this note about the use of antibiotics in aquariums!

V. rotiferianus in reef tanks

Prevalence

Looking at how common this pathogen is in other tanks can help you gauge whether finding it in your tank is expected or unusual.

Abundance Distribution

Comparing the levels of this pathogen in your tank with those found in other tanks provides a context for interpreting your test results.

References

Harrison, J., et al. (2021). The increased prevalence of Vibrio species and the first reporting of Vibrio jasicida and Vibrio rotiferianus at UK shellfish sites. Water Research, 211, 117942. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2021.117942

Liu, C., et al. (2024). Isolation and complete genome sequence analysis of Vibrio rotiferianus strain TO-01 from Trachinotus ovatus to reveal its pathogenicity and drug resistance. Aquaculture Reports. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aqrep.2024.102215

Zhang, Z., et al. (2019). First report of isolation and complete genome of Vibrio rotiferianus strain SSVR1601 from cage-cultured black rockfish (Sebastes schlegelii) associated with skin ulcer. Journal of Fish Diseases, 42(5), 623-630. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfd.12963

Revilla, J., et al. (2025). First draft genome sequence of Vibrio rotiferianus isolated from diseased larvae of the spiny rock-scallop Spondylus limbatus during hatchery outbreaks. Microbial Pathogenesis, 107617. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micpath.2025.107617

Yang, Q., et al. (2017). Identification and characterization of pathogen Vibrio rotiferianus, a pathogen isolated from Hippocampus erectus with tail-rot disease. Journal of Fishery Sciences of China, 24, 1131. https://doi.org/10.3724/sp.j.1118.2017.16310

Bachand, P., et al. (2020). Genomic identification and characterization of co-occurring Harveyi clade species following a vibriosis outbreak in Pacific white shrimp, Penaeus (litopenaeus) vannamei. Aquaculture. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2019.734628

Woods, C., et al. (2022). Assessing the Activity of Antimicrobial Peptides Against Common Marine Bacteria Located in Rotifer (Brachionus plicatilis) Cultures. Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins, 14, 620-629. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12602-022-09928-2

Caballes, C., et al. (2012). Interspecific transmission and recovery of TCBS-induced disease between Acanthaster planci and Linckia guildingi. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, 100(3), 263-267. https://doi.org/10.3354/dao02480

Yaylacı, E. (2022). Characterization of Pseudoalteromonas sp. from Aquaculture Environment and Optimization of Fermentation Culture Parameters by RSM-Based Modeling. Turkish Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. https://doi.org/10.4194/trjfas21726

Xue, S., et al. (2017). Impact of environmental bacterial communities on fish health in marine recirculating aquaculture systems. Veterinary Microbiology, 203, 34-39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetmic.2017.01.034