A total 180 marine fish samples, 60 of each mullet (Mugil cephalus), seabream (Sparus aurata) and seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax),were randomly collected from different fish farms in Port-Said Governorate. Some of collected fishes displayed hemorrhages on the external body surface, base of fins and operculum (gill cover) with congested gills, pale liver and corneal opacity were noticed. Bacteriological examination of samples was collected from fish surface, liver, kidney, spleen, muscle and gills revealed that the highest level of the isolates was recorded in liver followed by kidney, spleen, muscle and gill.
Biochemical identification results of the isolated Vibrio species were revealed that 38 samples (21.11%) from the total collected samples were positive for the prevalence of Vibrio species at a percentage of (28.33%), (18.33%) and (16.67%) for mullet, seabream and seabass respectively.
Molecular identification of Vibrio species isolated from some marine fishes using 16S rRNA and toxR revealed that 32 strains of the isolated Vibrio were belong to V. parahaemolyticus with a prevalence of 15, 8 and 9 from mullet, seabream and seabass respectively.
Meanwhile molecular characterization of the identified V. parahaemolyticus by using PCR showed that all 32 isolates were harbored recA gene and only 25 isolates were harbored tlh gene. The public health hazards of this microorganism, as well as improve quality status of marine farms fishes were discussed.
Keywords: Vibrio parahaemolytius, virulence, mullet, seabream, seabass fish, PCR, Public health.