Work

Microbial Communities Associated with Farmed Genypterus chilensis: Detection in Water Prior to Bacterial Outbreaks Using Culturing and High-Throughput Sequencing

Year: 2020

Type: article

Abstract: The red conger eel (Genypterus chilensis, Guichenot) is a native species included in the Chilean Aquaculture Diversification Program due to high commercial demand. In the context of intensified farming, prior reports link two disease outbreaks with emerging pathogens in the Vibrio and Tenacibaculum genera. However, the roles remain unclear for the bacterial community and each specific bacterium is associated with the rearing environment for healthy specimens. The success of red conger eel farming therefore warrants research into the bacterial composition of aquaculture conditions and the antimicrobial susceptibilities thereof. This study used culturing methods and high-throughput sequencing to describe the bacterial community associated with water in which G. chilensis was farmed. With culturing methods, the predominant genera were Vibrio (21.6%), Pseudolteromonas (15.7%), Aliivibrio (13.7%), and Shewanella (7.8%). Only a few bacterial isolates showed amylase, gelatinase, or lipase activity, and almost all showed inhibition zones to commonly-used antibiotics in aquaculture. By contrast, high-throughput sequencing established Paraperlucidibaca, Colwellia, Polaribacter, Saprospiraceae, and Tenacibaculum as the predominant genera, with Vibrio ranking twenty-seventh in abundance. High-throughput sequencing also established a link between previous outbreaks with increased relative abundances of Vibrio and Tenacibaculum. Therefore, monitoring the presence and abundance of these potential pathogens could be useful in providing prophylactic measures to prevent future outbreaks.

Source: Animals

DOI: 10.3390/ani10061055

Authors: Arturo Levican, Jenny C. Fisher, Sandra L. McLellan, Ruben Avendaño-Herrera

Institutions: Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Indiana University Northwest, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, Universidad Andrés Bello, Interdisciplinary Center for Aquaculture Research

Language: English

Topic: Aquaculture disease management and microbiota

Subfield: Immunology

Field: Immunology and Microbiology

Domain: Life Sciences

SDGs: Zero hunger, Life below water, Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,690