The gut microbiota community and antioxidant enzymes activity of barramundi reared at seawater and freshwater

Abstract To understand the physiological responses of euryhaline fish to reared salinity, the gut microbiota composition and antioxidant enzymes activity of same batch barramundi Lates calcarifer reared in two extreme salinity condition (seawater and freshwater) were studied, under laboratory condition. The gut bacterial composition was analyzed using high-throughput Illumina sequencing. Acid phosphatase (ACP), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), lipid peroxide (LPO), lysozyme (LZM), malonaldehyde (MDA), peroxidase (POD), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were used as biochemical indicators. The reared salinity did not change the major composition of barramundi gut bacteria under circulating aquaculture system. Proteobacteria , Firmicutes were the most phylum in barramundi gut microbiota community, and Exiguobacterium , Citrobacter , Acinetobacter , Pseudomonas were the dominate genus. CAT and ACP activity in barramundi liver were found significantly different between freshwater and seawater group. GSH-Px, LZM, POD, SOD activity and MDA, LPO levels were not significantly affected by reared salinity. This study is the first high-throughput analyses of the gut microbiota diversity in barramundi from same batch of siblings reared under two extreme salinity condition. And the findings in the present study can be instructive to the management of animal health in barramundi circulating farming activities, and further euryhaline fish gut microecology research.