Meeting Abstract
The bonnethead shark, Sphyrna tiburo, is a commonly found elasmobranch species along the Florida coast. Bonnethead sharks frequently ingest seagrasses in addition to a diet of crustaceans, molluscs, and cephalopods. Cellulose degrading enzymes within the hindgut have previously been detected, and a recent metabolic study has demonstrated that S. tiburo is capable of digesting seagrass; however, the role of microbes in the digestion of plant matter remains unclear. Here, we sought to determine whether bonnethead sharks within the Tampa Bay Estuary contain bacteria capable of digesting plant material within their digestive tracts. The stomach, anterior intestine, proximal spiral, mid spiral, distal spiral intestines, and colon from two adult sharks were each screened for the presence of cellulose degrading bacteria. Positive bacterial isolates were individually tested for cellulose degradation, and subsequently identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. We report the first isolation and identification of bacteria from within S. tiburo stomach and intestinal tissues that exhibit cellulase activity, a marker of plant degradation. These findings suggest a possible mechanism whereby S. tiburo may be able to obtain nutrition from plant matter.
