Studying the gut microbes of marine fishes is an important part of conservation as many fish species are increasingly threatened by extinction. The gut microbiota of only a small fraction of the more than 32,000 known fish species has been investigated. In this study we analysed the intestinal digesta microbiota composition of more than 50 different wild fish species from tropical waters. Our results show that the fish harbour intestinal digesta microbiota that are distinct from that of the surrounding water and that location, domestication status, and host intrinsic factors are strongly associated with the microbiota composition. Furthermore, we show that the vast majority (~97%) of the fish-associated microorganisms do not have any cultured representative. Considering the impact of the microbiota on host health and physiology, these findings underpin the call to also preserve the microbiota of host species, especially those that may be exposed to habitat destruction.

研究海洋鱼类的肠道微生物是保护的重要组成部分，因为许多鱼类日益受到灭绝的威胁。在 32,000 多种已知鱼类中，只有一小部分的肠道微生物群得到了研究。在这项研究中，我们分析了热带水域 50 多种不同野生鱼类的肠道食糜微生物群组成。我们的结果表明，鱼的肠道消化物微生物群与周围水域的微生物群不同，并且位置、驯化状态和宿主内在因素与微生物群组成密切相关。此外，我们表明绝大多数（~97%）与鱼类相关的微生物没有任何培养的代表。考虑到微生物群对宿主健康和生理学的影响，这些发现支持了保护宿主物种微生物群的呼吁，特别是那些可能遭受栖息地破坏的微生物群。