Zeolite mediated processing of nitrogenous waste in the rearing environment influences gut and sediment microbial community in freshwater crayfish (Cherax cainii) culture

Zeolite is known to uptake toxic metals and filter nitrogenous waste from aquaculture effluents. The present study aimed to investigate the impacts of zeolite in three different applications namely, dietary zeolite (DZ), suspended zeolite (SZ) in the water column, and a combination of both (DZSZ) relative to unexposed freshwater crayfish, marron (control). At the end of the 56-days trial, the impact was assessed in terms of characterization of microbial communities in the culture environment and the intestine of marron. Alongside the microbial communities, the innate immune response of marron was also evaluated. The 16S rRNA data showed that marrons exposed to the suspended zeolite had a significant increase of bacterial diversity in the gut, including the restoration of marron core operational taxonomic units (OTUs), relative to other forms of exposures (DZ, DZSZ) and the control. Suspended zeolite alone also increased the number of unshared OTUs and genera, and improved predicted metabolic functions for the biosynthesis and digestion of proteins, amino acids, fatty acids, and hormones. In the tank sediment, the shift of microbial communities was connected more strongly with the time of experiment than the type of zeolite exposure. In the second case, only control marron had a different microbial ordination in terms of rare taxa present in the community. Nevertheless, the modulation in the gut environment was found more prominent in DZ, relative to modulation in the tank sediments. The taxa-environment correlation identified Rhodoferax as the most potential bacteria in removing nitrogenous waste from the rearing environment. Further analysis showed that SZ resulted in the upregulation of genes associated with the innate immune response of marron. Overall results suggest that SZ can be used to enrich microbial communities in the gut and tank sediments and better immune performance of marron.

Automated summary

This study investigates the impacts of zeolite on microbial communities and immune response in crayfish aquaculture. The results show that suspended zeolite can increase bacterial diversity in the gut, improve metabolic functions, and enhance the innate immune response of crayfish.