Fig. 3
From: Elasmobranch microbiomes: emerging patterns and implications for host health and ecology
Despite the difficulty of sample collection, elasmobranch microbiomes have been sampled from diverse body niches. Swabbing of the skin/mucus (A, E) and gill (B) is relatively non-invasive and captures microbiomes reflecting both host-specific taxonomic signatures, as well as signatures of the surrounding seawater water microbiome. Host-specific signatures may be driven partly by variation in mucus content and prevalence, such as between sharks and rays. Sampling of gastrointestinal microbiomes has involved opportunistic sampling of feces (C) or swabbing of the cloaca (D), with cloacal communities representing a transition between external and internal microbiomes. Few studies have examined microbiome variation along the GI tract in dissected individuals. Diet, intestinal anatomy, and host foraging ecology may influence GI microbiome structure. Panel A Dorsal skin swab of a tiger shark (Mote Marine Laboratory). Panel B Gill swab of a spotted eagle ray (Mote Marine Laboratory). Panel C Aerial photograph of a whale shark defecating (Tiffany Klein, Ningaloo Aviation). Panel D Cloaca swab of a tiger shark (Mote Marine Laboratory). Panel E Dorsal swab of a spotted eagle ray (Mote Marine Laboratory)