Project:

Color Morphs, Sex Differences, and Social Rank: Microbiome in A burtoni

Students:

John Nan, Alya Molina Ramirez

Institution:

Queens College CUNY, Queens

Mentors:

Sebastian Alvarado

Abstract:

Social structure, sex, and phenotypic plasticity are increasingly recognized as key drivers of host–microbiome interactions, yet their combined effects across tissues remain poorly understood. This project investigates how sex, male color morph, and social rank shape microbiome composition in the African cichlid Astatotilapia burtoni. Building on prior work demonstrating rank-associated gut microbiome differences in males, we extend this framework to include females, male color morphs, and multiple tissues (gill, gut, and feces) to disentangle environmental versus host-driven influences on microbial communities. Using dyad-based social hierarchy paradigms, controlled environmental conditions, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing, we will quantify alpha and beta diversity and identify taxa and microbial lineages associated with sex, morph, and dominance status. We hypothesize that gill microbiomes will primarily reflect shared environmental exposure, whereas gut and fecal microbiomes will be