Insights on Fish Gut Microbiome - A Review

Abstract

Fish continues to attract considerable scientific interest as they are the most diverse community of vertebrates and a major component of a growing global aquaculture market. Complex assemblages of microbes, collectively known as the gut microbiota, colonize the digestive tracts of vertebrates. The gut microbiome plays a key role in fish health by stimulating immune system growth, assisting in the acquisition of nutrients, and outcompete opportunistic pathogens. Key innovations in recent years include the incredible rise in research of microbiomes, driven by advances in high-throughput sequencing technologies. The manipulation of fish gut microbiota to increase health and diet is gaining popularity. To date, most research in this area has concentrated on humans, and our knowledge of the microbiota in fish guts is minimal. This review gives an insight into the research of fish gut microbiota, including their development, variation with habitat, factors affecting gut microbial composition, their role in fish physiology, methods of characterization, application and research gaps, which can guide the development of probiotics, prebiotics and other novel additives to improve the production of healthy fish, and promote sustainable aquaculture.