Host biology, ecology and the environment influence microbial biomass and diversity in 101 marine fish species.

ABSTRACT: Fish are the most diverse and widely distributed vertebrates, yet little is known about the microbial ecology of fishes nor the biological and environmental factors that influence fish microbiota. To identify factors that explain microbial diversity patterns in a geographical subset of marine fish, we analyzed the microbiota (gill tissue, skin mucus, midgut digesta and hindgut digesta) from 101 species of Southern California marine fishes, spanning 22 orders, 55 families and 83 genera, representing ~25% of local marine fish diversity. We compare alpha, beta and gamma diversity while establishing a method to estimate microbial biomass associated with these host surfaces. We show that body site is the strongest driver of microbial diversity while microbial biomass and diversity is lowest in

SUBMITTER: Minich JJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9671965 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature