Alltech, the global leader in animal health and nutrition, outlined at World Aquaculture 2015, the work being undertaken to characterize the gut microbiome of rainbow trout and analyze the effect of diet on its composition.

“The gut microbiome of farmed trout is far more complex than previous research has documented,” said Philip Lyons, who is completing his PhD on the subject at the Institute of Aquaculture, Stirling University, in Scotland.

His project is employing next generation sequencing technology to enhance understanding of the importance of the gut microflora in the health of farmed fish.

Lyons spoke about the impact of diet on the structure of the intestinal microbiome and outlined that in trials, trout fed All-G Rich™, microalgae from Alltech, had higher performance and condition factor, as well as an increase in microbial diversity.