Journal of Aquaculture Research & Development

The gut-brain axis in fish

International Conference on Aquaculture & Fisheries

July 20-22, 2015 Brisbane, Australia

Brian C Small

Posters-Accepted Abstracts: J Aquac Res Development

Abstract:

Interest in the interactions between the gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system has grown tremendously over the past decade. With the ever increasing number of pre- and pro-biotics being marketed to the aquaculture industry, there is renewed interest in the gut and the role intestinal microbiota play in fish health. It?s commonly thought that gut microbiota modulate biochemical and neuro hormonal signaling pathways between the gut and the brain in vertebrates. Much of these interactions are assumed to be similar in fish; however, little research has been conducted to clearly demonstrate the bidirectional signaling of the gut-brain axis in fish. Much of the research to date has been conducted in goldfish (Carassius auratus). These studies have defined many gut peptides in goldfish as either anorexigenic (appetite suppressing) or orexigenic (appetite stimulating), as well as exploring their metabolic roles. The functional roles of these peptides in species important to aquaculture are less clear. In channel catfish, (Ictalurus punctatus) all gut peptides studied to date appear to be inhibitory or have no effect on feeding. Differences between goldfish and catfish demonstrate the need to establish gut-brain interactions in each species of interest. Defining the crosstalk of the gut-brainaxis is an essential step toward understanding how diet, stress, and shifts in gut microbiota affect fish performance.