Host-associated microbiota of yellow stingrays (Urobatis jamaicensis) is shaped by their environment and life history

Abstract

Insights gained from the unique scientific opportunities presented by public zoos and aquaria can help inform conservation and management decisions for wild populations and provide a rationale for decisions on exhibit design and maintenance for managed populations. This study has shown the diversity and composition of the microbiota associated with three different populations of yellow stingrays (Urobatis jamaicensis); wild rays (W), aquarium-housed rays originally caught in the wild (WC), and aquarium-born rays (AB). The microbial communities of wild rays were more diverse and had a different structure than did both WC and AB ray populations. Importantly, differences also existed between the two populations of aquarium-housed rays. There were significantly lower abundances of Bacteroidetes in skin-associated communities from WC rays v. AB rays, whereas there were significantly higher abundances of Vibrionaceae in cloaca-associated communities of WC rays v. those born in the aquarium. Additionally, the diversity of cloacal microbial communities was significantly lower in WC rays than aquarium-born rays. Findings from this study have demonstrated that a move from a wild to managed environment alters the host–microbe relationship in yellow stingrays and have lent support towards the refinement of aquarium disinfection strategies and expansion of cooperative breeding programs in the zoo and aquarium community.