Do stocking densities affect the gut microbiota of gibel carp (Carassius auratus gibelio) cultured in ponds?

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the intestinal microbial communities of gibel carp (Carassius auratus gibelio) cultivated in two beach ponds at different stocking densities. The two ponds were both ~3.33 hm2 in acreage and ~1.5 m in depth. The stocking densities included one intensive with 2 fish m–3 while the other treated as semi-intensive with 1 fish m–3. The gut microbiota (both allochthonous and autochthonous) were sampled after 135 days of feeding. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene segments was used to evaluate the bacterial community. Actinobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Firmicutes, Fusobacteria, Proteobacteria and some unclassified_bacteria taxa were identified in gut samples and feed. Similar bacterial communities (Cs=0.83) were observed with respect to the autochthonous and allochthonous gut microbiota of gibel carp cultured in the intensive culture pond. In contrast to these results, some difference (Cs=0.61) was observed in the gut microbiota of fish reared in the semi-intensive culture pond. Our results indicated that the difference in the bacterial communities between allochthonous bacteria and gut associated bacteria of gibel carp was not constant and was modulated by the stocking density.