Understanding the role of the shrimp gut microbiome in health and disease

Abstract

With rapid increases in the global shrimp aquaculture sector, a focus on animal health during production becomes ever more important. Animal productivity is intimately linked to health, and the gut microbiome is becoming increasingly recognised as an important driver of cultivation success. The microbes that colonise the gut, commonly referred to as the gut microbiota or the gut microbiome, interact with their host and contribute to a number of key host processes, including digestion and immunity. Gut microbiome manipulation therefore represents an attractive proposition for aquaculture and has been suggested as a possible alternative to the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics in the management of disease, which is a major limitation of growth in this sector. Microbiota supplementation has also demonstrated positive effects on growth and survival of several different commercial species, including shrimp. Development of appropriate gut supplements, however, requires prior knowledge of the host microbiome. Little is known about the gut microbiota of the aquatic invertebrates, but penaeid shrimp are perhaps more studied than most. Here, we review current knowledge of information reported on the shrimp gut microbiota, highlighting the most frequently observed taxa and emphasizing the dominance of Proteobacteria within this community. We discuss involvement of the microbiome in the regulation of shrimp health and disease and describe how the gut microbiota changes with the introduction of several economically important shrimp pathogens. Finally, we explore evidence of microbiome supplementation and consider its role in the future of penaeid shrimp production.