scholarly journals Influence of Seaweed Supplements on the Intestinal Bacteria in the Rabbitfish Siganus Fuscescens: Evidence for a Core Microbiome

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valentin Thepot ◽  
Joel Slinger ◽  
Michael A Rimmer ◽  
Nicholas A Paul ◽  
Alexandra H Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Alpha Diversity ◽  
Intestinal Bacteria ◽  
Taxonomic Resolution ◽  
Control Fish ◽  
Human Pathogens ◽  
Farmed Fish ◽  
Core Microbiome ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Future Work

Abstract BackgroundWe know very little about natural variation in microbiomes of marine herbivorous fish in the wild or in captivity (aquaculture). Understanding how the consumption of seaweed influences intestinal microbial communities will shed light on how such phytobiotics could enhance the health and productivity of farmed fish. Here we screened the effects of supplementing the diets of mottled rabbitfish (Siganus fuscescens), a candidate species for international aquaculture development, with 15 different species of seaweeds and functional supplements currently used in aquaculture, on the bacterial communities that colonised their hindguts. ResultsRemarkably, the second most abundant phylum and the majority (53%) of the bacterial genera were not assigned, highlighting a significant knowledge gap for the field of animal microbiomes. Dietary supplementation increased alpha diversity by up to 23% relative to the control fish. Furthermore, most supplements significantly increased the relative abundance of Firmicutes, with similar trends for Proteobacteria and consistent decreases in Bacteroides. Seaweed supplementation also had important effects at the genus level, including significant increases in Fusobacterium sp. in fish fed seaweed - especially the green Caulerpa taxifolia – and overall trends for reduced levels of Arcobacter sp., a genus that includes fish and human pathogens. When we compared microbiomes in our fish to those from two recently published studies of conspecific populations sampled many thousands of kilometres away, the populations were clearly distinct, however there were 55 ASVs that were shared across the three fish populations, of which 35 were present in 50% of all fish sampled.ConclusionThe identification of a core microbiome suggests that a host organism relies on certain microbes for key functions and our findings suggest that this candidate aquaculture species has a core microbiome in its hindgut which is robust to dietary manipulations and broad geographical and temporal variation. This insight will help guide future work investigating the functional and mechanistic bases of these relationships, as will improvements in microbial taxonomic resolution. Supplementation with seaweeds did have subtle influences on bacteria in the hindgut of Siganus fuscescens which could have important impacts on fish health and should be considered as aquaculture systems are developed for this species.

scholarly journals A novel bioaugmentation technique effectively increases the skin-associated microbial diversity of captive eastern hellbenders

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin K Kenison ◽  
Obed Hernández-Gómez ◽  
Rod N Williams
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Diversity ◽  
Microbial Communities ◽  
River Water ◽  
Community Composition ◽  
Alpha Diversity ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Population Declines ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Future Work

Abstract Captive environments are maintained in hygienic ways that lack free-flowing microbes found in animals’ natural environments. As a result, captive animals often have depauperate host-associated microbial communities compared to conspecifics in the wild and may have increased disease susceptibility and reduced immune function. Eastern hellbenders (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis) have suffered precipitous population declines over the past few decades. To bolster populations, eastern hellbenders are reared in captivity before being translocated to the wild. However, the absence of natural microbial reservoirs within the captive environment diminishes the diversity of skin-associated bacteria on hellbender skin and may negatively influence their ability to defend against pathogenic species once they are released into the wild. To prepare hellbenders for natural bacteria found in riverine environments, we devised a novel bioaugmentation method to increase the diversity of skin microbial communities within a captive setting. We exposed juvenile hellbenders to increasing amounts of river water over 5 weeks before translocating them to the river. We genetically identified and phylogenetically compared bacteria collected from skin swabs and river water for alpha (community richness) and beta (community composition) diversity estimates. We found that hellbenders exposed to undiluted river water in captivity had higher alpha diversity and distinct differentiation in the community composition on their skin, compared to hellbenders only exposed to well water. We also found strong evidence that hellbender skin microbiota is host-specific rather than environmentally driven and is colonized by rare environmental operational taxonomic units in river water. This technique may increase hellbender translocation success as increasing microbial diversity is often correlated with elevated disease resistance. Future work is necessary to refine our methods, investigate the relationship between microbial diversity and hellbender health and understand how this bioaugmentation technique influences hellbenders’ survival following translocation from captivity into the wild.

scholarly journals Density-dependent changes in neophobia and stress-coping styles in the world's oldest farmed fish

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (12) ◽  
pp. 181473 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Champneys ◽  
G. Castaldo ◽  
S. Consuegra ◽  
C. Garcia de Leaniz
Keyword(s):  
Coping Style ◽  
Coping Styles ◽  
High Density ◽  
Low Density ◽  
Stress Coping ◽  
Farmed Fish ◽  
Test Arena ◽  
Novel Foods ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
In The Wild

Farmed fish are typically reared at densities much higher than those observed in the wild, but to what extent crowding results in abnormal behaviours that can impact welfare and stress coping styles is subject to debate. Neophobia (i.e. fear of the ‘new’) is thought to be adaptive under natural conditions by limiting risks, but it is potentially maladapted in captivity, where there are no predators or novel foods. We reared juvenile Nile tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus ) for six weeks at either high (50 g l −1 ) or low density (14 g l −1 ), assessed the extent of skin and eye darkening (two proxies of chronic stress), and exposed them to a novel object in an open test arena, with and without cover, to assess the effects of density on neophobia and stress coping styles. Fish reared at high density were darker, more neophobic, less aggressive, less mobile and less likely to take risks than those reared at low density, and these effects were exacerbated when no cover was available. Thus, the reactive coping style shown by fish at high density was very different from the proactive coping style shown by fish at low density. Our findings provide novel insights into the plasticity of fish behaviour and the effects of aquaculture intensification on one of the world's oldest farmed and most invasive fish, and highlight the importance of considering context. Crowding could have a positive effect on the welfare of tilapia by reducing aggressive behaviour, but it can also make fish chronically stressed and more fearful, which could make them less invasive.

scholarly journals Aquaculture and Fish Welfare: Are the Rights of Fish Compromised?/ Akwakultura I Dobrostan Ryb: Czy Prawa Ryb Są Szanowane?

2014 ◽  
Vol 59 (1-4) ◽  
pp. 49-68
Author(s):  
Moshood K. Mustapha
Keyword(s):  
Stocking Density ◽  
Environmental Indicators ◽  
Farmed Fish ◽  
Fish Welfare ◽  
Dark Light ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Feeding Regimes ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Five Freedoms ◽  
Poor Welfare

Abstract Fish need adequate welfare in culture even more than when they are in the wild. This is because they are held in captivity against their ‘will’. The welfare of farmed fish should start from production to consumption. Several factors have been identified as compromising the rights and welfare of fish in aquaculture. These include the aquacultural holding devices, stocking density, water quality, food and feeding regimes, diseases and parasite infestation, treatment of the diseases and parasites, handling, netting and removal before and during slaughter, methods of slaughter, fasting/ food withdrawal, unnatural dark/light photoperiods, selection for fast growth, selective and induced breeding, genetic manipulations, exposure to predators, polyculture, tagging, crowding, grading, transport and harvesting, fish attractors and accidental or deliberate introduction of genetically modified farmed fish. The best way to achieve good welfare and health of fish in aquaculture is to respect, maintain and improve the rights of fish, otherwise known as the “five freedoms.” Lack, deficiency or difficulty in having or providing any one of the five freedoms in aquaculture is an indicator of poor welfare for the fish which could be observed through physical, physiological, morphological, behavioural or environmental indicators in the fish. The best strategy for a reliable assessment of fish welfare/suffering and their impact on product quality is a multidisciplinary approach using several assessment parameters and comparing the deviations from the normal biological state with those from the wild which live in their natural, unperturbed environment. Some of the ways to achieve good welfare and safeguard the rights of the farmed fish in reducing the welfare problems were highlighted. Welfare of farmed fish should be considered in terms of ethics, productivity, economic viability and consumer’s acceptability of the final product. Consumers are becoming aware of the quality of farmed fish arising from poor welfare of the fish during culture. Improvement in fish welfare will increase profits, productivity and acceptability of the farmed fish because fish that are less stressedand humanely slaugh tered are healthier, grow better and have better meat quality. There is the need to develop common standard welfare indices for fish in culture in order to detect, correct and improve any deviation from the normal state of the fish in their aquacultural holding devices (AHD). It should be known that whatever is good in terms of welfare to humans should also be good to the fish in captivity.

scholarly journals Density-dependent changes in neophobia and stress-coping styles in the world’s oldest farmed fish

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Champneys ◽  
G. Castaldo ◽  
S. Consuegra ◽  
Garcia de Leaniz
Keyword(s):  
Coping Style ◽  
Coping Styles ◽  
High Density ◽  
Low Density ◽  
Stress Coping ◽  
Farmed Fish ◽  
Test Arena ◽  
Novel Foods ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
In The Wild

AbstractFarmed fish are typically reared at densities much higher than those observed in the wild, but to what extent crowding results in abnormal behaviours that can impact welfare and stress coping styles is subject to debate. Neophobia (i.e. fear of the ‘new’) is thought to be adaptive under natural conditions by limiting risks, but it is potentially maladapted in captivity, where there are no predators or novel foods. We reared juvenile Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) for six weeks at either high (50g/L) or low density (14g/L), assessed the extent of skin and eye darkening (two proxies of chronic stress), and exposed them to a novel object in an open-test arena, with and without cover, to assess the effects of density on neophobia and stress coping styles. Fish reared at high density were darker, more neophobic, less aggressive, less mobile and less likely to take risks than those reared at low density, and these effects were exacerbated when no cover was available. Thus, the reactive coping style shown by fish at high density was very different from the proactive coping style shown by fish at low density. Our findings provide novel insights into the plasticity of fish behaviour and the effects of aquaculture intensification on one of the world’s oldest farmed and most invasive fish, and highlight the importance of considering context. Crowding could have a positive effect on the welfare of tilapia by reducing aggressive behaviour, but it can also make fish chronically stressed and more fearful, which could make them less invasive.

scholarly journals Characteristics of Gorilla-Specific Lactobacillus Isolated from Captive and Wild Gorillas

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sayaka Tsuchida ◽  
Steven Kakooza ◽  
Pierre Mbehang Nguema ◽  
Eddie Wampande ◽  
Kazunari Ushida
Keyword(s):  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Plant Secondary Metabolites ◽  
Intestinal Bacteria ◽  
Gorilla Gorilla ◽  
Mountain Gorillas ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Western Lowland Gorillas ◽  
Lowland Gorillas

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) reside in a wide range of mammals, such as autochthonous intestinal bacteria. In this paper, we present the phenotypic and phylogenetic characteristics of gorilla-specific LAB. Lactobacillus gorillae—previously isolated from the wild and captive western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla)—were successfully isolated from wild mountain gorillas (Gorilla gorilla beringei) in addition to other captive and wild western lowland gorillas. The strains from wild gorillas could ferment D-xylose, arbutine, cellobiose, and trehalose better than those from captive gorillas. By contrast, tolerance to NaCl was higher in isolates from captive gorillas than in those from wild gorillas. This tendency may have been induced by regular foods in zoos, which contain sufficient amount of salts but less amount of indigestible fiber and plant secondary metabolites compared to foods in the wild. All strains of L. gorillae showed inhibitory activities to enteric pathogenic bacteria; however, the activity was significantly higher for strains from wild gorillas than for those from captive gorillas. This may have been induced by the captive condition with routine veterinary intervention. Since L. gorillae can grow in the gastrointestinal tract of gorillas in captivity, the strains from wild mountain gorillas are potential probiotics for gorillas under captive conditions.

scholarly journals On the modulation and maintenance of hibernation in captive dwarf lemurs

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina B. Blanco ◽  
Lydia K. Greene ◽  
Robert Schopler ◽  
Cathy V. Williams ◽  
Danielle Lynch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Restriction ◽  
Metabolic Disorders ◽  
Biological Rhythms ◽  
Food Ingestion ◽  
Ambient Temperatures ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Cheirogaleus Medius ◽  
Save Energy ◽  
Metabolic Strategies

AbstractIn nature, photoperiod signals environmental seasonality and is a strong selective “zeitgeber” that synchronizes biological rhythms. For animals facing seasonal environmental challenges and energetic bottlenecks, daily torpor and hibernation are two metabolic strategies that can save energy. In the wild, the dwarf lemurs of Madagascar are obligate hibernators, hibernating between 3 and 7 months a year. In captivity, however, dwarf lemurs generally express torpor for periods far shorter than the hibernation season in Madagascar. We investigated whether fat-tailed dwarf lemurs (Cheirogaleus medius) housed at the Duke Lemur Center (DLC) could hibernate, by subjecting 8 individuals to husbandry conditions more in accord with those in Madagascar, including alternating photoperiods, low ambient temperatures, and food restriction. All dwarf lemurs displayed daily and multiday torpor bouts, including bouts lasting ~ 11 days. Ambient temperature was the greatest predictor of torpor bout duration, and food ingestion and night length also played a role. Unlike their wild counterparts, who rarely leave their hibernacula and do not feed during hibernation, DLC dwarf lemurs sporadically moved and ate. While demonstrating that captive dwarf lemurs are physiologically capable of hibernation, we argue that facilitating their hibernation serves both husbandry and research goals: first, it enables lemurs to express the biphasic phenotypes (fattening and fat depletion) that are characteristic of their wild conspecifics; second, by “renaturalizing” dwarf lemurs in captivity, they will emerge a better model for understanding both metabolic extremes in primates generally and metabolic disorders in humans specifically.

scholarly journals Previously unknown behavior in parasitic cuckoo females: male-like vocalization during migratory activity

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Swetlana G. Meshcheryagina ◽  
Alexey Opaev
Keyword(s):  
Vocal Communication ◽  
Harmonic Spectrum ◽  
Common Cuckoo ◽  
Neck Extension ◽  
Migratory Activity ◽  
Call Production ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Combined Features ◽  
Female Call

Abstract Background In the last decade, enigmatic male-like cuckoo calls have been reported several times in East Asia. These calls exhibited a combination of vocal traits of both Oriental Cuckoo (Cuculus optatus) and Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) advertising calls, and some authors therefore suggested that the enigmatic calls were produced by either Common × Oriental Cuckoo male hybrids or Common Cuckoo males having a gene mutation. However, the exact identity of calling birds are still unknown. Methods We recorded previously unknown male-like calls from three captive Oriental Cuckoo females, and compared these calls with enigmatic vocalizations recorded in the wild as well as with advertising vocalizations of Common and Oriental Cuckoo males. To achieve this, we measured calls automatically. Besides, we video-recorded captive female emitting male-like calls, and compared these recordings with the YouTube recordings of calling males of both Common and Oriental Cuckoos to get insight into the mechanism of call production. Results The analysis showed that female male-like calls recorded in captivity were similar to enigmatic calls recorded in the wild. Therefore, Oriental Cuckoo females might produce the latter calls. Two features of these female calls appeared to be unusual among birds. First, females produced male-like calls at the time of spring and autumn migratory activity and on migration in the wild. Because of this, functional significance of this call remained puzzling. Secondly, the male-like female call unexpectedly combined features of both closed-mouth (closed beak and simultaneous inflation of the ‘throat sac’) and open-mouth (prominent harmonic spectrum and the maximum neck extension observed at the beginning of a sound) vocal behaviors. Conclusions The Cuculus vocalizations outside the reproductive season remain poorly understood. Here, we found for the first time that Oriental Cuckoo females can produce male-like calls in that time. Because of its rarity, this call might be an atavism. Indeed, female male-like vocalizations are still known in non-parasitic tropical and apparently more basal cuckoos only. Therefore, our findings may shed light on the evolution of vocal communication in avian brood parasites.

scholarly journals Reintroduction of the Golden Conure (Guaruba guarouba) in Northern Brazil: Establishing a Population in a Protected Area

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 198
Author(s):  
Marcelo Rodrigues Vilarta ◽  
William Wittkoff ◽  
Crisomar Lobato ◽  
Rubens de Aquino Oliveira ◽  
Nívia Gláucia Pinto Pereira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Power Lines ◽  
Food Supplementation ◽  
Territorial Disputes ◽  
Amazon Forest ◽  
Nest Boxes ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Viable Population ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Northern Brazil ◽  
Native Foods

Brazil has the highest number of parrots in the world and the greatest number of threatened species. The Golden Conure is endemic to the Brazilian Amazon forest and it is currently considered as threatened by extinction, although it is fairly common in captivity. Here we report the first reintroduction of this species. The birds were released in an urban park in Belem, capital of Para State, where the species was extinct more than a century ago. Birds were trained to recognize and consume local food and to avoid predators. After the soft-release, with food supplementation and using nest boxes, we recorded breeding activity in the wild. The main challenges before the release were the territorial disputes within the aviary and the predation by boa snakes. During the post-release monitoring the difficulties were the fast dispersion of some individuals and the dangers posed by anthropic elements such as power lines that caused some fatalities. Released birds were very successful at finding and consuming native foods, evading predators, and one pair reproduced successfully. Monitoring continues and further releases are programmed to establish an ecologically viable population.

scholarly journals Numerical assessment in the wild: insights from social carnivores

2018 ◽  
Vol 373 (1740) ◽  
pp. 20160508 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Benson-Amram ◽  
Geoff Gilfillan ◽  
Karen McComb
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Wild Animals ◽  
Playback Experiments ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Numerical Assessment ◽  
Individual Discrimination ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Assessment Skills ◽  
In The Wild

Playback experiments have proved to be a useful tool to investigate the extent to which wild animals understand numerical concepts and the factors that play into their decisions to respond to different numbers of vocalizing conspecifics. In particular, playback experiments have broadened our understanding of the cognitive abilities of historically understudied species that are challenging to test in the traditional laboratory, such as members of the Order Carnivora. Additionally, playback experiments allow us to assess the importance of numerical information versus other ecologically important variables when animals are making adaptive decisions in their natural habitats. Here, we begin by reviewing what we know about quantity discrimination in carnivores from studies conducted in captivity. We then review a series of playback experiments conducted with wild social carnivores, including African lions, spotted hyenas and wolves, which demonstrate that these animals can assess the number of conspecifics calling and respond based on numerical advantage. We discuss how the wild studies complement those conducted in captivity and allow us to gain insights into why wild animals may not always respond based solely on differences in quantity. We then consider the key roles that individual discrimination and cross-modal recognition play in the ability of animals to assess the number of conspecifics vocalizing nearby. Finally, we explore new directions for future research in this area, highlighting in particular the need for further work on the cognitive basis of numerical assessment skills and experimental paradigms that can be effective in both captive and wild settings. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘The origins of numerical abilities’.

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