Gut milieu shapes the bacterial communities of invasive silver carp

Abstract

Silver carp is an invasive fish present in the Gobindsagar reservoir, India and has a profound impact on aquaculture. Understanding taxonomic diversity and functional attributes of gut microbiota will provide insights into the important role of bacteria in metabolism of silver carp that facilitated invasion of this exotic species. Microbial composition in foregut, midgut, hindgut and water samples was analysed using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. The bacterial communities of water samples were distinct from gut microbiota, and unique microbial assemblages were present in different regions of gut depicting profound impact of gut environment on microflora. Proteobacteria was the most abundant phyla across all samples. Ecological network analysis showed dominance of competitive interactions within posteriors region of the gut, promoting niche specialization. Predictive functional profiling revealed the microbiota specialized in digestive functions in different regions of the gut, which also reflects the dietary profile of silver carp.

Keywords: Exotic fish; Functional profiling; Gut microbiome; Invasion; Niche specialization; Silver carp.