The ability of Carnobacterium spp. originally isolated from vacuum-packed, sugar-salted fish to catabolize arginine was examined. All strains were able to produce citrulline, ornithine, and NH3 from arginine, presumably by the arginine deiminase pathway. The metabolism of arginine was concurrent with acid production from glucose for one strain of Carnobacterium sp. but delayed for one strain of Carnobacterium piscicola. The arginine catabolism was not inhibited in the presence of 2% glucose for three strains of carnobacteria during growth in test broth and/or shrimp extract. Growth as well as arginine catabolism was delayed for two strains of carnobacteria by lowering the temperature from 9 degrees C to 4 degrees C. A similar result was obtained by incubating one strain of C. piscicola in CO2. None of the compounds L-citrulline, L-ornithine hydrochloride, and (NH4)(2)SO4 had any effect on growth or arginine catabolism of this strain. Neither did pH of the medium affect the time for initiation of arginine catabolism.