We isolated 1,916 strains of bacteria from gut and feces of abalone. The most active agarolytic bacterium, DAG-130, was identified from the gut of the abalone Haliotis gigantea. Of the bacteria harbored by both H. discus hannai and H. gigantea, 59% were agarolytic. There was no significant difference in the number of agarolytic bacteria isolated from abalone fed on the seaweeds Gelidium amansii, Laminaria japonica, or Undaria pinnatifida. Of the agarolytic bacteria, 72% were isolated from the guts of all sources tested while 43% came from the feces. The strain DAG-130 showed 100% identity with the bacterium Vibrio cyclotrophicus based on phylogenetic analysis of l6S rDNA. The bacterium produced monomers and oligomers from the agar substrate.