Midgut Bacterial Microbiota of 12 Fish Species from a Marine Protected Area in the Aegean Sea (Greece)

• DOI: 10.1007/s00248-022-02154-x
• Publication Date: 2022-12-19T02:02:28Z
• Authors: Konstantinos Kormas; Eleni Nikouli; Vasiliki Kousteni; Dimitrios Damalas
• Keywords: Sparidae; Omnivore; Pagrus

Fish microbiome science is progressing fast, but it biased toward farmed or laboratory fish species against natural populations, which remain considerably underinvestigated. We analyzed the midgut bacterial microbiota of 45 specimens 12 collected from Gyaros Island marine protected area (Aegean Sea, Greece). The belong to seven taxonomic families and are either herbivores omnivores. Mucosa diversity was assessed by amplicon metabarcoding 16S rRNA V3-V4 gene region. A total 854 operational units (OTUs) were identified. In each species, between 2 18 OTUs dominated with cumulative relative abundance ≥ 70%. Most dominating taxa have been reported occur both in wild populations. communities different among except for Pagrus pagrus Pagellus erythrinus, Sparidae family. No differentiation found based on feeding habits, i.e., omnivorous vs. carnivorous. Comparing P. revealed considerable variation them. Our results expand gut support host effect as more likely factor shaping intestinal microbiota.