Abstract
Considering the crucial role of the gut microbiome in animal health and nutrition, solutions to shrimp aquaculture challenges, such as improving disease resistance and optimizing growth on lower cost feeds, may lie in manipulation of their microbial symbionts. However, achieving this goal will require a deeper understanding of shrimp microbial communities and how their composition is influenced by diet formulation, environmental conditions, and host factors. In this context, the current study investigated the intestinal bacterial communities of the Pacific whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei—the most widely aquaculture-farmed shrimp worldwide) reared in indoor aquaculture facilities and outdoor pond systems. While samples showed very consistent intestinal bacterial community profiles within each production system, major differences were uncovered between the two practices. Indeed, bacteria affiliated with Rhodobacteraceae (Proteobacteria) and Actinobacteria were significantly more abundant in indoor samples (84.4% vs. 5.1%; 3.0% vs. 0.06%, respectively), while Vibrionaceae (Proteobacteria), Firmicutes, Fusobacteria and Cyanobacteria were predominant in pond samples (0.03% vs. 44.8%; 0.7% vs. 36.0%; 0.0% vs. 7.9%; 0.001% vs. 1.6%, respectively). Accordingly, the abundance of 11 of the 12 most prominent Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) were found to be statistically different between the two production environments. Together, these results indicate that aquaculture practices greatly influence the intestinal bacterial profile of the whiteleg shrimp, and further suggest that bacterial communities of this economically important crustacean could be effectively manipulated using diet composition or environmental conditions.
Highlights
Shrimp is one of the most important seafood traded worldwide, with more than 3.4 million tons marketed each year at an estimated wholesale price ranging between $3800 and $8800 USD per ton [1]
Firmicutes, Fusobacteria and Cyanobacteria were found in much higher abundance in pond samples (36.0%, 7.9% and 1.6%, respectively) compared to indoor samples (0.7%, 0.0% and 0.001%, respectively), in contrast to Actinobacteria, which were more highly represented in indoor samples (3.0% vs. 0.06%)
The intestinal bacterial communities of whiteleg shrimp raised under different aquaculture production systems were investigated
Summary
Shrimp is one of the most important seafood traded worldwide, with more than 3.4 million tons marketed each year at an estimated wholesale price ranging between $3800 and $8800 USD per ton [1]. As the global human population continues to grow, shrimp supplies will need to double in the 20 years in order to meet future demand [2]. As wild harvest capture has grown stagnant [3], aquaculture has become the most viable alternative to meet current and future shrimp market demands [2]. While still in its infancy, shrimp farming has shown great potential for high productivity at reduced costs. Aquaculture-raised shrimp have shown twice the growth rates of wild stocks, indicating great potential to further increase production [6]. Due to its tolerance to a wide range of salinities and temperatures, whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei), known as Pacific white shrimp or king prawn, is the most widely farmed shrimp worldwide [7,8]
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