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Biology (Basel)
2024 Aug 15;138:. doi: 10.3390/biology13080623.
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High-Throughput Sequencing Analysis Revealed a Preference for Animal-Based Food in Purple Sea Urchins.
Liu Z
,
Guo Y
,
Qin C
,
Mu X
,
Zhang J
.
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Sea urchins play an important role in marine ecosystems. Owing to limitations in previous research methods, there has been insufficient understanding of the food sources and ecological functional value of purple sea urchins, leading to considerable controversy regarding their functional positioning. We focused on Daya Bay as the research area, utilizing stable isotope technology and high-throughput sequencing of 16S rDNA and 18S rDNA to analyze sea urchins and their potential food sources in stone and algae areas. The results showed that the δ13C range of purple sea urchins in the stone area is -11.42~-8.17‱, and the δ15N range is 9.15~10.31‱. However, in the algal area, the δ13C range is -13.97~-12.44‱, and the δ15N range is 8.75~10.14‱. There was a significant difference in δ13C between the two areas (p < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in δ15N (p > 0.05). The main food source for purple sea urchins in both areas is sediment. The sequencing results of 18S rDNA revealed that, in the algal area, the highest proportion in the sea urchin gut was Molluska (57.37%). In the stone area, the highest proportion was Arthropoda (76.71%). The sequencing results of 16S rDNA revealed that, in the algal area, Bacteroidetes was the dominant group in the sea urchin gut (28.87%), whereas, in the stone area, Proteobacteria was the dominant group (37.83%). Diversity detection revealed a significant difference in the number of gut microbes and eukaryotes between the stone and algal areas (p < 0.05). The results revealed that the main food source of purple sea urchins in both areas is sediment, but the organic nutritional value is greater in the algal area, and the richness of microbiota and eukaryotes in the gut of purple sea urchins in the stone area is greater. These results indicated that purple sea urchins are likely omnivores and that the area where they occur impacts their growth and development. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for the restoration of wild purple sea urchin resources and the selection of areas for restocking and release.
32160863 the National Natural Science Foundation of China, 2023B1515250004 the Guangdong Province Basic and Applied Basic Research Fund Project, 2023XK01 the South Sea Fisheries Research Institute, the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, 324MS132 Hainan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China
Figure 1. Overview of the sampling areas. (A,C) represent the algal zone. (B,D) represent the stone zone.
Figure 2. Schematic diagram of the sampling sites in the Daya Bay area. A1–A3 and S1–S3 are six sampling sites, of which S1–S3 is the northern part of Daya Bay and A1–A3 is the western part of Daya Bay.
Figure 3. Isotopic characteristics of purple sea urchins from different regions.
Figure 4. δ13C and δ15N values of potential food sources for sea urchins in the stone and algal zones of Daya Bay. (A) Comparative analysis of δ13C in sediments, Padina, Sargassum, and attached diatoms. (B) Comparative analysis of δ15N in sediments, Padina, Sargassum, and attached diatoms.
Figure 5. C/N ratios of potential food sources for sea urchins in the stone and algal areas of Daya Bay.
Figure 6. Relative contributions of potential food sources to the purple sea urchin in the two areas. The colors in the image mainly represent the data density. The color ranges from purple to dark blue to light green and yellow, indicating that the distribution density of data points ranges from low to high.
Figure 7. ASVs (amplicon sequence variants) shared by eukaryotic organisms in the gut contents of sea urchins from different regions.
Figure 8. Abundance of eukaryotic organisms in sea urchin gut contents at the phylum level in both areas. (A) Proportion of the gut microbiota at the phylum level in sea urchins. (B) Proportion of the gut microbiota at the genus level in sea urchins.
Figure 9. Abundance of eukaryotic organisms in the environment at the phylum level in both areas. (A) represents the algal area. (B) represents the stone area.
Figure 10. Dilution curves of eukaryotic organisms in the guts of sea urchins from different regions.
Figure 11. Alpha diversity of eukaryotes in the guts of sea urchins from different regions. (A) ACE index analysis of the eukaryotic organisms in the guts of sea urchins from different habitats (p < 0.05). (B) Chao1 index analysis of the eukaryotic organisms in the guts of sea urchins from different habitats (p < 0.05). (C) Simpson index analysis of the eukaryotic organisms in the guts of sea urchins from different habitats (p > 0.05). (D) Shannon index analysis of the eukaryotic organisms in the guts of sea urchins from different habitats (p > 0.05).
Figure 12. PCoA of sea urchin eukaryotes in different regions.
Figure 13. Common ASVs of intestinal microbes in different regions of sea urchins.
Figure 14. The abundance of gut micro-organisms in the two regions at the phylum and genus level. (A) Represents the phylum level. (B) Represents the genus level.
Figure 15. Abundances of environmental micro-organisms at the phylum level in the two zones. (A) Represents the algal area. (B) Represents the stone area.
Figure 16. Dilution curves of the gut microbes of sea urchins from different regions.
Figure 17. Alpha diversity of the intestinal microbial communities of sea urchins in different regions. (A) ACE index analysis of the eukaryotic organisms in the guts of sea urchins from different habitats (p < 0.05). (B) Chao1 index analysis of the eukaryotic organisms in the guts of sea urchins from different habitats (p < 0.05). (C) Simpson index analysis of the eukaryotic organisms in the guts of sea urchins from different habitats (p > 0.05). (D) Shannon index analysis of the eukaryotic organisms in the guts of sea urchins from different habitats (p > 0.05).
Figure 18. PCoA of the gut microbes of sea urchins in different regions.
