No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

The microenvironment of bacteria associated with the gastrointestinal tract of an animal in£uences the host in many ways, including the metabolism of several nutrients. Isolation, molecular characterization and enzymatic activities of culturable bacteria associated with the gastrointestinal tract of hatcheryreared oceanic yellow seahorse, Hippocampus kuda, were investigated in the present study. 16S rRNA sequencing of bacterial isolates yielded 10 di¡erent bacterial genera belonging to two major groups: proteobacteria (62.9%) and ¢rmicutes (37.03%). The predominant microbial £ora belonged to the genera Vibrio spp., Enterovibrio sp. and Bacillus spp. Burkholderia cenocepacia, hitherto unreported from the gastrointestinal tract of marine ¢sh, was retrieved from the seahorse gut, albeit in small numbers. Enzymatic studies indicated that the bacterial isolates possess the ability to degrade lipids, cellulose, xylan, starch and proteins. Lipase activity was exhibited by a majority of the isolates (70.4%), indicating that the bacterial £ora associated with the intestinal tract of seahorses is capable of digesting foods rich in lipids. The possible implications for the role of these bacteria in the digestion and physiological processes are discussed. To our knowledge, this is the ¢rst time that the characterization and enzymatic activities of bacteria associated with the intestinal tract of farmed seahorses have been reported.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract