Bacterial community composition in gut contents of Holothuria edulis under different habitat types by 16S rRNA

The tropical sea cucumber Holothuria edulis is widely distributed and plays an important role in benthic ecosystems, but there is a lack of detailed research on food selection and substrate adaptation in specific habitats. In this paper, a one-month field study on H. edulis was conducted to reveal the food-habitat relation and the adaptation process to harsh sea conditions, using in situ mesocosm method with three single habitat type treatments (sandy substrate, broken coral branches substrate and reef substrate).