What is "flavobacterium"

n. Any of many Gram-negative rod-shaped bacteria, of the class Flavobacteriia (sic), that occur in soil and water, and are mostly pigmented and photosynthetic.

Flavobacterium is a genus of Gram-negative, non- motile and motile, rod-shaped bacteria that consists of 130 recognized species as well as three newly proposed species ( F. gondwanense, F. salegens, and F. scophthalmum). Flavobacteria are found in soil and fresh water in a variety of environments. Several species are known to cause disease in freshwater fish.

Flavobacterium psychrophilum causes the bacterial cold water disease (BCWD) on salmonids and the rainbow trout fry disease (RTFS) on rainbow trouts. Flavobacterium columnare causes the cotton-wool disease on freshwater fishes. Flavobacterium branchiophilum causes the bacterial gill disease (BGD) on trouts.

Nylon-eating bacteria are a strain of Flavobacterium that is capable of digesting certain byproducts of nylon 6 manufacture.