Skin and stinger bacterial communities in two critically endangered rays from the South Atlantic in natural and aquarium settings

• Published in: MicrobiologyOpen (Weinheim) 2020-12, Vol.9 (12), p.e1141-n/a
• Main Authors: Gonçalves e Silva, Fernanda, Santos, Henrique Fragoso, Assis Leite, Deborah Catharine, Lutfi, Daniela Silva, Vianna, Marcelo, Rosado, Alexandre Soares
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 16S rRNA; Antibiotics; aquaria; Aquariums; Bacteria; Bacterial infections; captivity; Coasts; Composition; elasmobranch; Endangered species; Environmental impact; Estuaries; estuary; Guanabara Bay; Gymnura altavela; Infections; Laboratory animals; Microorganisms; Neonates; Original; Pathogens; rRNA 16S; Sediments; Skin
• ISSN: 2045-8827; 2045-8827
• DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.1141

Bacterial communities of two critically endangered rays from the South Atlantic, the butterfly ray (Gymnura altavela) and the groovebelly ray (Dasyatis hypostigma), were described using 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding. The study characterized the bacterial communities associated with (i) G. altavela in natural (in situ) and aquarium (ex situ) settings, (ii) skin and stinger of G. altavela, and D. hypostigma in aquaria, and (iii) newborns and adults of D. hypostigma. The results revealed potentially antibiotic‐producing bacterial groups on the skin of rays from the natural environment, and some taxa with the potential to benefit ray health, mainly in rays from the natural environment, as well as possible pathogens to other animals, including fish and humans. Differences were observed between the G. altavela and D. hypostigma bacteria composition, as well as between the skin and stinger bacterial composition. The bacterial community associated with D. hypostigma changed with the age of the ray. The aquarium environment severely impacted the G. altavela bacteria composition, which changed from a complex bacterial community to one dominated almost exclusively by two taxa, Oceanimonas sp. and Sediminibacterium sp. on the skin and stinger, respectively. This article focused on the bacterial communities in two poorly studied and endangered ray species from the southern Atlantic: the butterfly ray (Gymnura altavela) and the groovebelly ray (Dasyatis hypostigma). This is the first study to describe the bacterial community associated with these species in natural environments and aquariums.