Abstract
The ecological and genetic changes that underlie evolution of
host-microbe interactions remain elusive, primarily due to challenges in
disentangling the variables that alter microbiome composition. To
understand the impact of host habitat, host genetics and evolutionary
history on microbial community structure, we examined gut microbiomes of
river- and three cave-adapted morphotypes of the Mexican tetra,
Astyanax mexicanus, in their natural environments and under
controlled laboratory conditions. We found that lab-reared fish
exhibited increased microbiome richness and distinct composition
compared to their wild counterparts, underscoring the significant
influence of habitat. Most notably, however, we found that morphotypes
reared on the same diet throughout life developed distinct microbiomes
suggesting that genetic loci resulting from cavefish adaptation shape
microbiome composition. We observed stable differences in Fusobacteriota
abundance between morphotypes and demonstrate that this could be used as
a trait for quantitative trait loci mapping to uncover the genetic basis
of microbial community structure.