Stomach Microbiome Simplification of a Coral Reef Fish at Its Novel Cold-Range Edge Under Climate Change

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dc.contributor.authorHayes, C.
dc.contributor.authorMitchell, A.
dc.contributor.authorHuerlimann, R.
dc.contributor.authorJolly, J.
dc.contributor.authorLi, C.
dc.contributor.authorBooth, D.J.
dc.contributor.authorRavasi, T.
dc.contributor.authorNagelkerken, I.
dc.date.issued2025
dc.description.abstractClimate-driven range extensions of animals into higher latitudes are often facilitated by phenotypic plasticity. Modifications to habitat preference, behaviour and diet can increase the persistence of range-extending species in novel high-latitude ecosystems. These strategies may be influenced by changes in their gut and stomach microbial communities that are critical to host fitness and potentially adaptive plasticity. Yet, it remains unknown if the gut and stomach microbiome of range-extending species is plastic in their novel ranges to help facilitate these modifications. Here, we categorised stomach microbiome communities of a prevalent range-extending coral reef fish along a 2000-km latitudinal gradient in a global warming hotspot, extending from their tropical core range to their temperate cold range edge. At their cold range edge, the coral reef fish's stomach microbiome showed a 59% decrease in bacterial diversity and a 164% increase in the relative abundance of opportunistic bacteria (Vibrio) compared to their core range. Microbiome diversity was unaffected by fish body size, water temperature, physiology (cellular defence and damage) and habitat type (turf, barren, oyster, kelp and coral) across their range. The observed shifts in microbiome composition suggest dysbiosis and low plasticity of tropical range-extending fishes to novel environmental conditions (e.g., temperate prey and lower seawater temperature) at their novel range edges, which may increase their susceptibility to disease in temperate ecosystems. We conclude that fishes extending their ranges to higher latitudes under ocean warming can experience a simplification (i.e., reduced diversity) of their stomach microbiome, which could restrict their current rate of range extensions or establishment in temperate ecosystems.
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityChloe Hayes, Angus Mitchell, Roger Huerlimann, Jeffrey Jolly, Chengze Li, David J. Booth, Timothy Ravasi, Ivan Nagelkerken
dc.identifier.citationMolecular Ecology, 2025; 34(7):e17704-1-e17704-12
dc.identifier.doi10.1111/mec.17704
dc.identifier.issn0962-1083
dc.identifier.issn1365-294X
dc.identifier.orcidHayes, C. [0000-0002-6115-3903]
dc.identifier.orcidMitchell, A. [0000-0002-2255-9652]
dc.identifier.orcidNagelkerken, I. [0000-0003-4499-3940]
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/2440/144696
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherWiley
dc.relation.granthttp://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP170101722
dc.rights© 2025 The Author(s). Molecular Ecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
dc.source.urihttps://doi.org/10.1111/mec.17704
dc.subjectclimate change; coral reef fishes; ecology; microbiome; range-extension
dc.subject.meshStomach
dc.subject.meshAnimals
dc.subject.meshFishes
dc.subject.meshBacteria
dc.subject.meshRNA, Ribosomal, 16S
dc.subject.meshEcosystem
dc.subject.meshClimate Change
dc.subject.meshCoral Reefs
dc.subject.meshMicrobiota
dc.subject.meshGastrointestinal Microbiome
dc.titleStomach Microbiome Simplification of a Coral Reef Fish at Its Novel Cold-Range Edge Under Climate Change
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.publication-statusPublished

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