Replacement of Fish Oil and Fish Meal with Shizochytrium sp. Oil and Soybean Meal in Pacific white Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei ) diets

Abstract

A 70-day growth trial was conducted with Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) post-larvae (PL12) to study the use of soybean meal and oil from a single cell microorganism (thraustochytrid) as fish meal and fish oil substitutes, respectively, in practical diets for L. vannamei. The growth, survival and immune characteristics of shrimp were evaluated. Four experimental diets were designed with soybean meal as the primary protein source with each formulation containing 33% crude protein and 8% lipid. Fish oil was completely substituted with 3% soybean oil and different concentrations of oil from a single cell heterotrophy Shizochytrium sp. which is rich in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Commercial shrimp feed was used as the control. The final weights and survival rates of shrimp were not significantly different among all treatments. However, shrimp raised on diets supplemented with DHA showed improvements in immune parameters such as total hemocyte count, phenoloxidase activity, superoxide dismutase activity, bactericidal activity. These findings demonstrate that soybean meal and oil from thraustochytrid are potential alternative renewable sources of fish-based ingredients in shrimp diets.