Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.3390/microorganisms12112281
Licence creative commons licence
Title (Primary) Unveiling emerging opportunistic fish pathogens in aquaculture: A comprehensive seasonal study of microbial composition in Mediterranean fish hatcheries
Author Skliros, D.; Kostakou, M.; Kokkari, C.; Tsertou, M.I.; Pavloudi, C.; Zafeiropoulos, H.; Katharios, P.; Flemetakis, E.
Source Titel Microorganisms
Year 2024
Department AME
Volume 12
Issue 11
Page From art. 2281
Language englisch
Topic T7 Bioeconomy
Supplements https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/microorganisms12112281/s1
Keywords microbial community; metagenomics; microbial ecology; bacteriome; environmental microbiology
Abstract The importance of microbial communities in fish hatcheries for fish health and welfare has been recognized, with several studies mapping these communities during healthy rearing conditions and disease outbreaks. In this study, we analyzed the bacteriome of the live feeds, such as microalgae, rotifers, and Artemia, used in fish hatcheries that produce Mediterranean species. Our goal was to provide baseline information about their structure, emphasizing in environmental putative fish pathogenic bacteria. We conducted 16S rRNA amplicon Novaseq sequencing for our analysis, and we inferred 46,745 taxonomically annotated ASVs. Results showed that incoming environmental water plays a significant role in the presence of important taxa that constitute presumptive pathogens. Bio-statistical analyses revealed a relatively stable bacteriome among seasonal samplings for every hatchery but a diverse bacteriome between sampling stations and a distinct core bacteriome for each hatchery. Analysis of putative opportunistic fish pathogenic genera revealed some co-occurrence correlation events and a high average relative abundance of Vibrio, Tenacibaculum, and Photobacterium genera in live feeds, reaching a grand mean average of up to 7.3% for the hatchery of the Hellenic Center of Marine Research (HCMR), 12% for Hatchery A, and 11.5% for Hatchery B. Mapping the bacteriome in live feeds is pivotal for understanding the marine environment and distinct aquaculture practices and can guide improvements in hatchery management, enhancing fish health and sustainability in the Mediterranean region.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=30048
Skliros, D., Kostakou, M., Kokkari, C., Tsertou, M.I., Pavloudi, C., Zafeiropoulos, H., Katharios, P., Flemetakis, E. (2024):
Unveiling emerging opportunistic fish pathogens in aquaculture: A comprehensive seasonal study of microbial composition in Mediterranean fish hatcheries
Microorganisms 12 (11), art. 2281 10.3390/microorganisms12112281