Fish Gut Microbiome: A Primer to an Emerging Discipline in the Fisheries Sciences

High throughput next generation sequencing has propelled advances in genomic inquiry, including discoveries on the composition of the host gut microbiota. Research on mammals has demonstrated critical ways through which the gut microbiota influences host health and fitness, but applications involving fisheries are in their infancy. Given the breadth of research interests and importance of hatcheries in fisheries management and aquaculture in food production, studies investigating the gut microbiome of fish will play an integral role in promoting fish growth and health in all settings. This perspective highlights what is currently known about the fish gut microbiome, and how research can apply next generation sequencing and related methods to address emerging questions in fisheries and aquaculture. With continuing advances in sequencing technologies, gut microbiome research will change our understanding of the microbiota's role in fisheries and aquaculture through inquiry into the mutualistic relationship between microbes and fish hosts.