High-throughput sequencing reveals the dominance of Shewanella species in the intestinal microbiota of barbour’s seahorses (Hippocampus barbouri)

Abstract

In this study, taxonomic classi cation of intestinal microbiota from healthy Barbour's seahorses (Hippocampus barbouri) was determined as it plays an important role in host nutrition and immunity. Genomic DNA was extracted from the intestinal mucus samples of eleven Barbour's seahorses, which were subjected to high-throughput sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA genes targeting V1-V3 regions. The results revealed that the most abundant operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were a liated to the genus Shewanella. Our ndings may provide baseline data for further studies in order to explore the potential implications of intestinal microbiota to seahorses in terms of health status, development, growth, and survival.