Effects of hypoxia stress on the intestinal microflora of juvenile of cobia (Rachycentron canadum)

Hypoxia is one of the most frequently arising stressors in aquaculture. Hypoxia causes huge financial losses and degradation of resources. However, the response of cobia (Rachycentron canadum) to hypoxia stress is not completely understood. In this study, the effects of hypoxia on the intestinal microflora of juvenile cobia were investigated. The diversity and structure of microflora after 4 weeks of hypoxia stress were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing technology. A total of 210 fish were divided into two treatment groups, namely, hypoxic stress and normoxic control groups, with 3 replicates per group and 35 fish per replicate. The results showed that the richness and diversity of intestinal microflora increased significantly first and subsequently decreased significantly after invitation of the hypoxia stress (P