Turning the tide on sex and the microbiota in aquatic animals

Abstract

Sex-based differences in animal microbiota are increasingly recognized as of biological importance. While most animal biomass is found in aquatic ecosystems and many water-dwelling species are of high economic and ecological value, biological sex is rarely included as an explanatory variable in studies of the aquatic animal microbiota. In this opinion piece, we argue for greater consideration of host sex in studying the microbiota of aquatic animals, emphasizing the many advancements that this information could provide in the life sciences, from the evolution of sex to aquaculture.

Sex-specific bacterial microbiome variation in octopus vulgaris skin

“…Studies focusing on the sex-related differences in the microbiome of aquatic animals have been reported across different aquatic taxa, mainly targeting vertebrates (Reviewed Bates et al, 2022 ). The few available studies focusing on invertebrates include corals ( Wessels et al, 2017 ), crustaceans ( Wenzel et al, 2018 ; Clarke et al, 2019 ), or mollusks ( Iehata et al, 2015 ; Takacs-Vesbach et al, 2016 ).…”

“…Growing knowledge of the host-microbiota of humans, rodents and other vertebrate taxa, has shown the prevalence of sexual dimorphism in the microbiome (“microsexome”) ( Kim, 2022 ; Mulak et al, 2022 ). However, there are few studies focusing on sex-specific microbiome variation in non-vertebrate models, mainly on terrestrial animals, with very few studies targeting aquatic organisms, and virtually none targeting cephalopods ( Bates et al, 2022 ).…”

Effects of anthropogenic stress on hosts and their microbiomes: Treated wastewater alters performance and gut microbiome of a key detritivore (Asellus aquaticus)

“…Importantly, the sexual dimorphism in responses to ultrafiltered wastewater found in this system suggests that females and males may have different susceptibilities to the same stressor which, when influencing host performance, could lead to persistent differences between sexes. While sexual dimorphism is a common feature in a broad range of taxa in nature (Hedrick & Temeles, 1989 ; Shine, 1989 ; Zarkower, 2001 ), sexual dimorphism in the microbiome composition (and its response to stressors) has thus far been largely overlooked in natural populations in general, and aquatic taxa in particular (Bates et al, 2022 ), as many studies do not include different sexes (but e.g. Góngora et al, 2021 ; Markle et al, 2013 ; Valeri & Endres, 2021 ).…”

“…Henry et al, 2019Henry et al, , 2021Koskella et al, 2017) can complicate the predictions about responses of natural populations to anthropogenic change. Moreover, the consequences of host-microbiome interactions can be sex-specific (Bates et al, 2022;Bolnick et al, 2014), an aspect that is thus far little studied in natural populations.…”

Editorial: Composition, functions and modulation of gut microbiota in maricultural animals

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Editorial on the Research Topic Composition, functions and modulation of gut microbiota in maricultural animalsDespite that evaluation of the gut microbiota can be dates to the late 1920`s and early 1930`s (Reed andSpence, 1929;Stewart, 1932;Gibbons, 1933), controversy still existed in the 70s about the existence and role of indigenous microbiota in fish gastrointestinal (GI) tract (Ringø et al, 2016). However, today it is generally accepted that fish gut microbiome, which include e.g., bacteria, fungi and yeast are modulated by dietary components, age, gender, health status and environmental factors (Ringø et al, 2016;Egerton et al, 2018;Bates et al, 2022). The microbiome plays a crucial role in GI development, digestive function, maintaining mucosal tolerance, barrier functions and in the maintenance of its homeostasis, enhance the immune response, provide protection against exogenous microorganisms and diseases (e.g.,

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