BremenCoral reef fish carry bacteria that make energy from chemicals.
The gill microbiome may shape fish metabolism and immunity, with stakes for reef health.
Researchers sequenced gill DNA from Caribbean reef fish and reconstructed 70 bacterial genomes, mostly new to science, from just 5% microbial DNA.
The gill microbiome’s role in fish health and disease resistance has not yet been tested directly.
How each outlet framed it
- Phys.org leans favorable
- documents chemosynthetic bacteria in reef fish gills, initially dismissed as 'microbial DNA contamination'
Sources: Phys.org