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165 
Communication 

Biosci. J., Uberlândia, v. 33, n. 1, p. 165-168, Jan./Feb. 2017 

Chromobacterium violaceum (Schröter 1872) ISOLATED FROM THE AQUATIC 
ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATED WITH THE PSICULTURE OF JAÚ, Zungaro 

jahu (IHERING, 1898) (Siluriformes, Pimelodidae) 
 

Chromobacterium violaceum (Schröter 1872) ISOLADO DE AMBIENTE AQUÁTICO 
ASSOCIADO À PSICULTURA DE JAÚ, Zungaro jahu (IHERING, 1898) (Siluriformes, 

Pimelodidae) 
 

Renato Ventresqui de OLIVEIRA1; Natália CONCEIÇÃO1; Douglas de Castro RIBEIRO1; 
Fagner de SOUZA2; Maria das Graças REIS1; Marcelo Mattos PEDREIRA3;  

Paulo Roberto da SILVA1; Afonso PELLI1 
1. Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e Naturais, Departamento de Patologia, Genética e 
Evolução, Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brasil. apelli@terra.com.br; 2. Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Programa de Pós-Graduação 

em Ecologia de Ambientes Aquáticos Continentais, Coleção Ictiológica do Núcleo de Pesquisas em Limnologia, Ictiologia e 
Aquicultura; 3. Universidade Federal do Vale do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Laboratório de Aquicultura e Ecologia Aquática, 

Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brasil.  
 

ABSTRACT: The jau, Zungaro jahu (Ihering, 1898) is an endangered species, rheophilic, reaching 1.5 m and 
more than 100 kg. During a work of microbiological monitoring of water quality, in the cultivation of Zungaro jahu, 
microorganisms that were isolated, were previously reported in other studies, as family members Enterobacteriaceae, 
Staphylococcus and non-fermenting bacilli. However, it was also isolated Chromobacterium violaceum, which despite 
being a bacterium found in such an environment, it was reported linked to the cultivation of fish. This paper describes the 
Chromobacterium violaceum founded in a psiculture, which has implications for national fish farming. 
 

KEYWORDS: Fish farming. Pimelodidae. Siluriformes. Semi-intensive system. Water quality. 
 
INTRODUCTION 

 
Jaú, Zungaro jahu (Ihering, 1898), is a 

Siluriforme from the family Pimelodidae. An 
endangered reofílic species, it is native to the major 
rivers of the midwest, southeast, and southern 
regions of Brazil and is a predator that can reach 1.5 
m and weigh more than 100 kg (PELLI et al, 2008; 
2009). 

Many native fish in the Neotropics have 
potential for fishing and recreation, such as piau, 
piapara, piracanjuba, golden fish, pacu, and 
tambaqui (BEDE et al, 1993; DUMONT NETO et 
al, 1997a; 1997b; PELLI et al, 1997a, 1997b). 
Despite having high reproductive capacities, many 
of these species are in the process of extinction due 
to the change in function or the destruction of their 
habitat, pollution, and dams (AGOSTINHO; 
ZALEWSKI, 1996), and especially due to the 
transformation of the great rivers into reservoirs and 
cascades (AMARAL et al, 2012;. PELLI et al, 2008; 
2009). 

The presence of microorganisms in farm 
fish can lead to the farm’s economic losses because 
of possible infections; among the bacteria that can 
cause diseases in fish, Chromobacterium violaceum 
(Schröter 1872) is one of the important species. 

Chromobacterium violaceum, belonging to 
Neisseriaceae family, is a gram-negative, facultative 
anaerobic, saprophyte microorganism that presents 
with the bacillus form, and a colony has 1 to 2 mm 
after growth at 30–35°C on blood agar (MURRAY 
et al., 2007). The main morphological characteristic 
is the presence of a violet pigment, known as 
‘violaceum’, which gives a purple coloration to the 
colonies; however, unpigmented colonies have been 
described (SIVENDRA; TAN 1977). These 
microorganisms can also be recognized because 
they are oxidase-positive, glucose-fermenting, and 
lactose non-fermenting. 

This microorganism can be found in 
different ecosystems in tropical and subtropical 
climates, normally inhabiting the soil and water in 
these regions (KOBURGER, MAY, 1982; 
HUNGRIA et al, 2005), and has already been 
described in Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 
1758) cultivation systems (DAL PUPO, 2006). 

Diseases due to the presence of C. 
violaceum were first reported in 1905 in Buffalo - 
New York (WOOLEY, 1905). It is worth noting that 
infections in mammals are the most common, with 
reported cases in pigs (LIU et al., 1989) and dogs 
(GOGOLEWISKI, 1983). In 1956, it was reported 
that one of the first cases in humans occurred in 
1927 in a newborn in Malaysia (SNEATH et al., 

Received: 11/07/16 
Accepted: 05/12/16 



166 
Chromobacterium violaceum…  OLIVEIRA, R. V. et al. 

Biosci. J., Uberlândia, v. 33, n. 1, p. 165-168, Jan./Feb. 2017 

1953). Infections in humans are rare, however, but 
when they occur, the mortality is high 
(MANJUNATH, 2007). Some studies have reported 
isolated cases in Brazil (MARTINEZ et al., 2000; 
DIAS et al, 2005) and abroad (LEE et al., 1999; 
TEOH et al., 2006). 

The aim of this study was to report the 
characterization of C. violaceum when isolated in a 
Neotropical aquatic environment, in association 
with the cultivation of Jaú. 

 
COMMUNICATION 

 
Water samples were collected from Volta 

Grande farm fish in the municipality of Conceição 
das Alagoas, Minas Gerais, between the months of 
May and December 2009. Samples were collected 
randomly during the day in sterile flasks to avoid 
contamination of the samples. 

The samples were plated on blood agar and 
MacConkey agar and incubated for 24–48 hours at 
37°C as described by Murray et al. (2007).. 

The morphology was evaluated using the 
Gram stain method. The microorganism 
identification was performed using the follow 
biochemical tests: catalase, urea, citrate, 
phenylalanine, H2S production, indole, lysine, 
Voges Proskauer, Methyl Red, Bile-esculin, 
motility, arginine, ornithine, and TSI (triple sugar 
iron).. 

Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined 
by disk diffusion test, as recommended by the 
Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute - CLSI 
(2005), and the antimicrobials agents were: 
amikacin (30 mcg), ampicillin (10 g), cefoxitin (30 
ug), ciprofloxacin (5ug), chloramphenicol (30 ug), 
gentamicin (10 ug), imipenem (10 g), nitrofurantoin 
(300 ug), norfloxacin (10 g), piperacillin (110 ug) 
and sulfazotrin (25 g). 

A total of seven samples were taken, and at 
only three points in two different collections, the 
bacteria in question was isolated, which can 
probably be related to the biotic and abiotic 
parameters in the analyzed environments, such as 
the trophic level, ground proximity, and the 
occurrence of reservoir species. 

The microorganism was identified as gram-
negative bacilli with the Gram stain method. 
Through biochemical tests, it was shown to be an 
optional anaerobic and tested negative for urea, 

citrate, phenylalanine, H2S production, indole, 
lysine, Voges Proskauer, Methyl Red, and Bile-
esculin and positive for catalase, motility, arginine, 
and ornithine. The TSI showed an alkaline apex and 
an acid base. 

In disk diffusion testing, the isolate was 
susceptible to amikacin, cefoxitin, ciprofloxacin, 
chloramphenicol, gentamicin, imipenem, 
nitrofurantoin, norfloxacin, and piperacillin 
sulfazotrin and had ampicillin resistance. 

The results confirmed the isolate as the 
Chromobacterium violaceum. This is the first time 
that the occurrence of this species in a farm fish at 
Conceição das Alagoas, Minas Gerais, has been 
identified and has been related to the aquatic 
microbiota associated with the cultivation of Jau. 

The authors suggest some hypotheses to 
justify these findings: 
a) Exotic species such as O. niloticus could be 
incriminated as biological vectors; 
b) The occurrence of natural reservoirs (meaning the 
habitat of an infectious agent, in which it lives, 
grows, and multiplies), such as mammals, could be 
these biological vectors; or  
c) These species may have been introduced through 
urbanization with the consequent contamination of 
bodies and watercourses. 

The finding is considered relevant because 
this environment is framed as Class 2 by CONAMA 
Resolution 357 (2005), which considers these 
enabling environments as well as the protection of 
aquatic communities, primary contact recreation, the 
irrigation of vegetables, aquaculture, and fishing 
activities; these activities involve direct contact with 
the aquatic environment and can put at significant 
risk the daily activities in these bodies of water, 
including those related to economic activities, such 
as aquaculture, bathing, recreation, and sport and 
commercial fishing. 
 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 

 
The authors are grateful to the Support 

Foundation of the State of Minas Gerais Research 
(FAPEMIG) Education Foundation and Research 
Uberaba (FUNEPU), CAPES, CEMIG, 
Environmental Station of Volta Grande and the 
Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro by the 
facilities granted. 

 
 

 RESUMO: O jaú, Zungaro jahu (Ihering, 1898), é uma espécie em extinção, reofílica, atingindo 1,5 m e mais 
que 100 kg. Durante um trabalho de monitoramento microbiológico da qualidade da água, no cultivo da espécie em foco, 
foram isolados microrganismos previamente descritos em outros estudos, como membros da família Enterobacteriaceae, 



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Chromobacterium violaceum…  OLIVEIRA, R. V. et al. 

Biosci. J., Uberlândia, v. 33, n. 1, p. 165-168, Jan./Feb. 2017 

Staphylococcus e bacilos não fermentadores. Além desses microrganismos, foi isolada também a espécie 
Chromobacterium violaceum, que apesar de ser uma bactéria encontrada neste tipo de ambiente, não foi relatada associada 
ao cultivo de peixes. Este trabalho relata este importante achado, que pode trazer implicações à piscicultura nacional. 
 

PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Pimelodidae. Piscicultura. Qualidade de água. Sistema semi-intensivo. Siluriformes. 
 
 
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