Abstract
Characters of slowly growing scotochromogenic mycobacteria isolated from patient materials in this country were studied. The results are shown in tables. These scotochromogens were distinguished from named species of mycobacteria at least in more than four characters and were considered to be a species. These mycobacteria were named Mycobacterium aquae.
The name of M. aquae had been used by Galli-Valerio and Bernard in 1927 for a scotochromogen, and Bönicke proposed this name for scotochromogens, based on the similarity of amidase pattern. Basis of creating a new species was provided in our study by adding a number of characters giving “positive matches”. The outline of the new species and the differentiation from other species were clarified.
The term scotochromoge n used here indicates, as described in the preceding paper, an organism developing markedly yellow or orange colonies on Sauton agar from its initial growth.
