ISSN: 0973-7510

E-ISSN: 2581-690X

Research Article | Open Access
Rose Chinly Mae H. Ortega-Kindica1 , Chinee S. Padasas-Adalla2 and Sharon Rose M. Tabugo3,4
1Department of Biology and Environmental Science, College of Science, University of the Philippines Cebu, Gorordo Avenue, Lahug, Cebu City, Philippines.
2Department of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Cavite State University-Don Severino de las Alas Campus, Cavite City, Philippines.
3Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science and Mathematics, Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology, Iligan City, Philippines.
4Molecular Systematics and Conservation Genomics Laboratory, Center for Biodiversity Studies and Conservation (CBSC), Premier Research Institute of Science and Mathematics (PRISM), Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology, Iligan City, Philippines.
Article Number: 10298 | © The Author(s). 2025
J Pure Appl Microbiol. 2025;19(4):2804-2815. https://doi.org/10.22207/JPAM.19.4.19
Received: 07 February 2025 | Accepted: 24 September 2025 | Published online: 03 November 2025
Issue online: December 2025
Abstract

This study analyzed the community of bacteria present on the epidermal layer of Hippocampus barbouri using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. A total of 103 Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) comprising 61 unique bacterial species were identified, with female samples exhibiting a higher read count (164,844) compared to males (142,525). The predominant bacterial phyla include Pseudomonadota, Bacteroidota, Bacillota, Actinomycetota, and Cyanobacteriota, with Pseudomonadota being prevalent for both samples comprising 50% for females and 53.33% for males. Shewanella baltica was the most abundant species found on female skin, likely due to their increased mobility and exposure to shallow marine waters. Identified bacterial families includes Flavobacteriaceae, Pseudomonadaceae, Moraxellaceae, and Vibrionaceae. The greater bacterial diversity observed in female samples in this study may be attributed to their broader range of movement and environmental interactions. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed species relationships and suggested that seahorse mobility plays a role in shaping skin microbiota. These findings highlight sex-specific differences in microbial composition and emphasize the potential influence of host-microbiome interactions in marine organisms.

Keywords

Bacteria, Hippocampus barbouri, Seahorse, Species, 16S rRNA

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© The Author(s) 2025. Open Access. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License which permits unrestricted use, sharing, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.