Sex, Age, and Bacteria: How the Intestinal Microbiota Is Modulated in a Protandrous Hermaphrodite Fish.

ABSTRACT: Intestinal microbiota is key for many host functions, such as digestion, nutrient metabolism, disease resistance, and immune function. With the growth of the aquaculture industry, there has been a growing interest in the manipulation of fish gut microbiota to improve welfare and nutrition. Intestinal microbiota varies with many factors, including host species, genetics, developmental stage, diet, environment, and sex. The aim of this study was to compare the intestinal microbiota of adult gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) from three groups of age and sex (1-year-old males and 2- and 4-year-old females) maintained under the same conditions and fed exactly the same diet. Microbiota diversity and richness did not differ among groups. However, bacterial composition did, highlighting th

SUBMITTER: Piazzon MC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6834695 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature