Table 2.
Taxonomy and ecology of host animals of the candidate family Tenuibacteraceae, and origin of their putative symbiont sequence.
| Host (vernacular names) | Taxonomy | Habitat | Diet | Tenuibacteraceae sequence origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Priapulus caudatus (Penis worm) | Priapulida | Marine (benthic) | Generalist predator and scavenger | Midgut |
| Porcellio scaber (Rough woodlouse) | Arthropoda, Crustacea, Oniscidea | Terrestrial | Detritus, mainly plant litter | Hepatopancreas (digestive tract) |
| Daphnia magna (Water flea) | Arthropoda, Crustacea, Cladocera | Freshwater/brackish | Phytoplankton, filter-feeder | Unknown |
| Euglossa imperialis (Orchid bee) | Arthropoda, Insecta, Euglossini | Terrestrial | Nectar and pollen | Whole gut |
| Dactylopius opuntiae (Cochineal) | Arthropoda, Insecta, Coccoidea | Terrestrial | Plant sap | Entire specimen |
| Eriocheir sinensis (Chinese mitten crab) | Arthropoda, Crustacea, Brachyura | Freshwater/brackish (benthic) | Omnivorea | Whole gut |
| Niphargus frasassianus (Amphipod) | Arthropoda, Crustacea, Amphipoda | Freshwater/in caves (troglobitic) | Likely omni- and detritivore | Appendagesb |
| Strigamia maritima (Centipede) | Arthropoda, Myriapoda, Chilopoda | Terrestrial/marine (littoral) | Predator of marine invertebrates | Whole genome sequencing of host |
| Tyrophagus putrescentiaec (Mold mite) | Arthropoda, Arachnida, Acari | Terrestrial | Primarily fungivorous, pest of stored goods | Entire female specimen |
a
Tenuibacteraceae sequence were only found in aquaculture crabs fed innards and aquatic invertebrates (Li et al., 2007); these may have been the actual symbiont source, which would explain the recovery of two distinct symbiont sequences from the mitten crabs.
b
During a study targeting sulfur-oxidizing epibionts in the appendages (Bauermeister et al., 2012), a single Tenuibacteraceae sequence from a single specimen was obtained, which may have originated from contamination with fecal material during dissection.
c
Putative symbiont sequence misclassified in the original publication (Qu et al., 2014) as Tistrella sp.