Description

PURPOSE: The purpose of this work was to determine (1) how the population genomic structure relates to gut microbiota composition of White Hake (Urophycis tenuis), and (2) whether microbiota community variation provides complementary insights into population structure of this species in eastern Canada. DESCRIPTION: Integrating host-associated microbiota with genomic approaches offers an opportunity to better understand the multiple biological dimensions shaping population structure in marine fishes. A clear understanding of population structure and dynamics is essential for informed fisheries management and conservation decisions; however, while genomic approaches have greatly improved our ability to delineate biological populations, they provide only a partial representation of biological structure, as patterns of differentiation reflect both historical divergence and contemporary ecological conditions. Host-associated microbiota can influence population-level ecological processes by contributing functional, potentially heritable variation that shapes host phenotype and fitness. In this study, we combined genotyping-by-sequencing with 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to examine how population genomic structure relates to gut microbiota composition and to evaluate whether microbiota community variation provides complementary insights into population structure in White Hake (Urophycis tenuis) in eastern Canada. Genomic analyses identified two populations with greater spatial overlap than previously reported. Variation partitioning revealed that host genetics explained a negligible proportion of microbiota variation compared to environmental factors and fish length, suggesting that ontogenetic shifts in habitat use and resource acquisition influence gut microbiota composition. Several taxa were differentially abundant among fish length categories used as a proxy for diet, including taxa with chitin-degrading potential such as Photobacterium and Lachnospirales, which were enriched in smaller fish known to consume a crustacean-dominated diet. Together, these results indicate that gut microbiota composition in White Hake primarily reflects ecological and life-history processes rather than host population structure. PARAMETERS COLLECTED: Environmental parameters were also collected at most sampling sites, including depth, water temperature, oxygen and salinity levels. PHYSICAL SAMPLE DETAILS: Fin samples were collected to characterize the fish genotypes. Intestine (rectum) samples were collected to study fish gut microbiome. SAMPLING METHODS: In 2022 and 2023, White Hake were sampled during Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) annual bottom trawl ecosystem monitoring surveys. USE LIMITATION: To ensure scientific integrity and appropriate use of the data, we would encourage you to contact the data custodian.

Resources

Name	Format	Description	Link
ASV Table (abundance table of the bacterial taxa in number of reads per White Hake gut microbiota sample)	CSV		https://api-proxy.edh-cde.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/catalogue/records/83113cc4-43e8-11f1-ae0a-ff739810e62a/attachments/asv_table.csv
Data Dictionary	CSV		https://api-proxy.edh-cde.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/catalogue/records/83113cc4-43e8-11f1-ae0a-ff739810e62a/attachments/data_dictionnary.xlsx
Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) Data Used to Genotype White Hake (VCF file)	ZIP		https://api-proxy.edh-cde.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/catalogue/records/83113cc4-43e8-11f1-ae0a-ff739810e62a/attachments/Filtered%20SNP%20White%20Hake.zip
Metadata, including environmental parameters for each sampling site and the biological measurements on each White Hake specimen	CSV		https://api-proxy.edh-cde.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/catalogue/records/83113cc4-43e8-11f1-ae0a-ff739810e62a/attachments/metadata.csv
Taxonomy Table (taxonomical rank of each bacterial taxa included in the ASV Table dataset)	CSV		https://api-proxy.edh-cde.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/catalogue/records/83113cc4-43e8-11f1-ae0a-ff739810e62a/attachments/taxonomy_table.csv
White Hake Sampling Sites with Environmental Parameters and Biological Measurements	Ersi REST		https://egisp.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/arcgis/rest/services/open_data_donnees_ouvertes/white_hake_sampling_sites_with_environmental_parameters_and_biological_measurements/MapServer
White Hake Sampling Sites with Environmental Parameters and Biological Measurements	Ersi REST		https://egisp.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/arcgis/rest/services/open_data_donnees_ouvertes/white_hake_sampling_sites_with_environmental_parameters_and_biological_measurements/MapServer

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