Gut microbiota of homologous Chinese soft-shell turtles (Pelodiscus sinensis) in different habitats

Abstract

Background Chinese soft-shell turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) is an important commercial species for their high nutritional value and unique taste, but it has been a vulnerable species due to habitat loss. In this study, homologous juvenile turtles were allocated to lake, pond and paddy field to investigate the habitat effects on turtles. Results The growth, morphology and gut microbial communities were monitored during the 4 months cultural period. It showed higher growth rate of turtles in paddy field and pond. The appearance, visceral coefficients, gut morphology and microbial communities in turtles were distinct among different habitats. The microbial community richness on Chao1 was obviously lower in initial turtle guts from greenhouses, whereas it was relative higher in turtle guts sampled from paddy fields than ponds and lake. Significant differences on dominant microbes were found among initial and subsequent samples from different habitats. Firmicutes was the most abundant phylum in the guts of turtles sampled from the greenhouse initially, while Proteobacteria was the most abundant phylum after cultivation in different habitats, followed by Bacteroidetes. The microbial composition were distinct in different habitats at 60d, and the appearance of dominant phyla and genera was more driven by sampling time than habitats at 120d. Both the sampling time and habitats affected the appearance of dominant phyla and genera during the cultivation. The functional predictions indicated that both habitat type and sampling time had significant effects on metabolic pathways, especially amino acid and carbohydrate metabolism. Conclusions The turtles could adapt to natural lakes, artificial ponds and paddy fields. The gut microbial abundance was different among the habitats and sampling time. The species of microbes were significantly more diverse in paddy field specimens than in those from ponds and lakes. Rice-turtle coculture is a potential ecological and economic farming mode that plays important roles in wild turtle protection and food security.

Gut Microbiome Analyses of Wild Migratory Freshwater Fish (Megalobrama terminalis) Through Geographic Isolation

“…It is evident from the functional analysis result that overall, the gut microbiota of digestive functions in the three populations of M. terminalis presented differentiation by geographic isolation. A recent study clarifies that the gut microbiota is closely associated with host physiological metabolism, nutrient utilization, nutritional status, and health (Wu et al, 2021).…”

Comparative analysis of bacterial diversity of pond water with different output of Chinese soft-shelled turtle Pelodiscus sinensis in dark greenhouse mode

“…Previous studies showed that the phylum Bacteroidetes is involved in the process of converting complex molecules into simpler compounds in anaerobic environments, it can convert complex polysaccharides into usable compounds and degrade organic pollutants (Rosselló-Mora et al 1999; Liu et al 2009). In addition, Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes, as the dominant phyla, were detected in the gut of P. sinensis (Wu et al 2021). Thus, our results indicated that Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were the dominant phyla purifying the water of the two ponds throughout the entire culture periods.…”

“…Firmicutes was the dominant phylum in the aquaculture-reared species (Ramírez & Romero 2017; Klase et al 2019). For example, it appeared in the gut of P. sinensis from the greenhouse (Wu et al 2021). However, in our study, Firmicutes was the dominant phylum in the late stage of cultivation in both ponds, with its relative abundance being higher in pond B than in pond A (Fig.…”

“…Therefore, it is crucial for farmers to increase the output of P. sinensis. Several culture modes have been established for P. sinensis, including greenhouses and arti cial ponds, rice and turtles co-cultures, and Ipomoea aquatica and turtles co-cultures (Li et al 2016; Zhang et al 2017; Wu et al 2021). Due to its high stocking density and output of turtle, the dark greenhouse culture mode has attracted much attention in recent years, where the relatively weak light could signi cantly reduce the occurrence of turtle biting (Zhang et al 2017).…”

Complete Mitochondrial Genomes of Four Pelodiscus sinensis Strains and Comparison with Other Trionychidae Species

“…The Chinese soft-shelled turtle ( Pelodiscus sinensis ) belongs to the genus Pelodiscus of the family Trionychidae, and it is recognized as an important economic species with nutritional value and medicinal value [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. P. sinensis is widely distributed in East Asia, including China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam [ 4 , 5 ].…”