The dietary linoleic and linolenic fatty acids requirements of the prawn Penaeus monodon

The dietary requirement of the prawn Penaeus monodon for linoleic (LOA) and linolenic (LNA) fatty acids was examined in the absence of other long-chain polyunsaturated and highly unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA-20:2, 20:3, 22:2, 22:3 and HUFA-18:4, 20:4, 20:5, 22:4, 22:5, 22:6, respectively). Incremented dietary amounts of LOA (7, 14, 21, 28 and 35% of total fatty acids) and LNA (0, 7, 14, 21 and 28% of total fatty acids) were examined in a 5 × 5 factorial growth experiment lasting 50 days. An additional diet containing both PUFA and HUFA (cod-liver oil) was provided as a reference. The total lipid content (excluding sterols) of each of the 26 diets was maintained at 70 g kg⁻¹ of dry diet. The fatty acid composition of the neutral lipid was manipulated by blending different plant oils and supplementing with purified free fatty acids to provide the desired fatty acid composition upon addition to the total diet. At the end of the 50-day growth experiment, the prawn digestive gland (DG) was quantitatively analysed for lipid and fatty acid content. Prawns fed the reference diet increased in weight (mean ± SEM) by 214 ± 6%. Growth was generally greater when combinations of LOA and LNA were used. The best growth (213 ± 17%) was obtained with the diet containing a fatty acid content of 14% LOA and 21% LNA. This growth was comparable to that of the reference diet. The digestibility of the total lipid in the diet was usually higher when both fatty acids were present. The lipid content of the DG was highest in prawns fed diets containing both LOA and LNA, similar to the growth response. The fatty acid composition of the prawn's DG lipid reflected the fatty acid composition of the diet. However, the maximum assimilation of LNA in the DG lipid (14.2% of DG lipid fatty acids) was about half that of LOA (32.5% of DG lipid fatty acids).     

A reference diet for nutritional studies of the giant tiger prawn Penaeus monodon

Critical evaluation of the nutrient requirements of an animal requires the use of a purified reference diet. In this study, the effects of either a purified reference experimental diet, a practical experimental diet and an imported commercial diet on the growth and nutritional condition of the prawn Penaeusmonodon were compared. The reference diet, based on widely available ingredients of consistent and known nutrient content, supported excellent prawn growth when fed either ad libitum or subsatiation (≈ 75% of the mean initial satiation intake). In a 6-week experiment, growth (as percentage increase in weight, ± SEM) of the prawns fed ad libitum differed significantly (P < 0.05) between each diet in the order: practical (142 ± 10%), reference (121 ± 9%) and commercial (91 ± 16%). Growth for the reference diet fed subsatiation was 116 ± 4%, and was not significantly (P > 0.05) different from that obtained with the same diet fed ad libitum. Dry matter food conversion for the reference diet was significantly (P < 0.05) better when fed subsatiation (1.58 ± 0.08) rather than ad libitum (2.08 ± 0.06) and better than that obtained with either the practical (3.40 ± 0.15) or commercial (3.02 ± 0.28) diets, which were not significantly (P > 0.05) different from each other. The lipid content (mg g^–1 of prawn) of the digestive gland of prawns fed ad libitum was similar for reference, practical and commercial diets (6.03 ± 0.38, 4.92 ± 0.90 and 4.92 ± 0.95 mg g^–1 of prawn, respectively), but significantly (P < 0.05) higher than that for the reference diet fed subsatiation (4.73 ± 0.38 mg g^–1 of prawn).     

Optimizing the essential fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid, in the diet of the prawn, Penaeus monodon

The dietary requirements of Penaeus monodon for eicosapentaenoic (20:5n‐3; EPA) and docosahexaenoic (22:6n‐3; DHA) acids were examined. These requirements were examined when dietary levels of linoleic (18:2n‐6; LOA) and linolenic acids (18:3n‐3; LNA) were also provided at previously established optimal levels of 14 and 21% respectively of the total lipid fatty acids. A 5 × 5 factorial design was used with incremental amounts (0, 4, 8, 12 and 16% of total fatty acids) of EPA and/or DHA. An additional diet containing cod‐liver oil was provided as a reference diet. The total lipid content of all of the 25 treatments and reference diets was maintained at the same level of 75 g kg^?1. Growth of prawns fed with the reference diet after 50 days was 244 ± 21%. The greatest response to singular additions of EPA or DHA was with a 12% inclusion of either fatty acid, resulting in 287 ± 21 and 293 ± 18% weight gain, respectively. Growth was generally better when combinations of EPA and DHA were used, the optimal combination being EPA 4% and DHA 4%, resulting in 335 ± 25% weight gain. Addition of high levels of either of the highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA) in the diet had a negative effect on growth. Digestibilities of the total neutral lipid and specific fatty acids were examined during the growth trials. The digestibility of total neutral lipid was usually higher when either or both HUFA were present, however there were few significant differences between treatments that contained either or both HUFA. Following the growth trials, digestive glands (DG) of prawns fed with the various diets were analysed to determine the total lipid content and fatty acid composition. Total lipid in the digestive gland increased with the inclusion of DHA, but was not significantly affected by the addition of EPA. The fatty acid composition of the digestive gland lipid generally reflected that of the diet. However, the maximum retention of EPA (11.1% of total DG fatty acids) and DHA (10.7% of total DG fatty acids), was not directly proportional to the amount of either fatty acid present in the diet. These results demonstrate that both EPA and DHA have considerable growth promoting capacity. This growth promoting capacity is enhanced when an optimal balance of both fatty acids are incorporated into the diet.     

Flocculated microalgae concentrates as diets for larvae of the tiger prawn Penaeus monodon Fabricius

Fresh algal culture is a major bottleneck in the aquaculture industry. Substitutes that are cost-effective and simplify hatchery procedures, such as algae concentrates need to be evaluated. Four species of alga – Chaetoceros muelleri , C. calcitrans , a tropical Skeletonema sp. and Thalassiosira pseudonana – were concentrated by flocculation, stored for 6 weeks at 4 °C and then compared with their fresh counterparts as feeds for Penaeus monodon larvae. The algae were fed at either high or low cell densities with no supplements.
Fresh C. muelleri promoted the highest survival, greatest weight gain and fastest development to mysis 1. Larvae fed this diet were twice as heavy as those fed most of the other diets. Concentrated C. muelleri or T. pseudonana promoted similar survival rates to that of larvae fed fresh C. muelleri although development rates were slower. Larvae fed fresh C. calcitrans had high survival and intermediate development, but those fed the concentrate had very poor survival and development. Skeletonema sp., whether in the fresh or concentrated form, was a poor diet for prawn larvae: it resulted in high mortality and slow development. Cell density did not affect survival or dry weight of larvae but did affect development in some cases. Flocculated algal concentrates show promise as replacement feeds for fresh algae.     

Genetic evidence for a single stock of giant tiger prawns Penaeus monodon in demarcated prawn fishing zones of Tanzania

Tanzania demarcated three prawn fishing zones along its coast to spread fishing pressure and help the prawn fishery to recover. However, it is unknown whether the demarcated zones correspond to the genetic stock structure of the world's most commercially important prawn, the giant tiger prawn (Penaeus monodon). Thus, this study used partial mitochondrial control region sequences (534 base pairs) to test the hypotheses that (1) giant tiger prawns in Tanzania's demarcated prawn fishing zones are a single stock and (2) the giant tiger prawns on the Tanzanian coast experienced a recent demographic expansion. The sequences showed high haplotype diversity (h = 0.998–1.0) and low nucleotide diversity (θ_π = 1.89%–2.24%). The neutrality test and mismatch analysis showed that the hypothesis of recent demographic expansion could not be rejected. The analysis of molecular variance revealed low and insignificant fixation indices between the zones (F_ST = 0.00025, p > 0.05; Φ_ST = −0.00027, p > 0.05), suggesting that the three demarcated fishing zones constitute a single stock and that fishers may be targeting the same stock. Furthermore, it was discovered that Zone 2 has the potential to replenish depleted areas; thus, it should be prioritised in future conservation planning.     

Nutritional evaluation of fatty acids for the open thelycum shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei: II. Effect of dietary n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated and highly unsaturated fatty acids on juvenile shrimp growth, survival, and fatty acid composition

This study evaluated the nutritional value of dietary n‐3 and n‐6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) such as linoleic (LOA) and linolenic (LNA) acids, and highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA) such as arachidonic (AA), eicosapentaenoic (EPA), and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids for juvenile Litopenaeus vannamei, based on their effects on growth, survival, and fatty acid composition of hepatopancreas and muscle tissue. Diets contained 5% total lipid. A basal diet contained palmitic and stearic acids each at 2.5% of diet. Five diets contained 0.5% dry weight of LOA, LNA, AA, EPA, or DHA. An additional diet evaluated HUFA in combination by supplementing at 0.5% of diet, a mixture of n‐3 HUFA. All HUFA showed higher nutritional value than PUFA for shrimp and produced significantly (P < 0.05) higher final weight, weight gain, and total lipid in shrimp muscle. Fatty acid profiles of shrimp tissues reflected the composition of the dietary lipids. In general, saturated fatty acids were more abundant in the neutral factions, while PUFA and HUFA were more abundant in the polar fractions of tissues. Under these experimental conditions, HUFA had much greater nutritional value than PUFA for juvenile L. vannamei; moreover, dietary requirements for PUFA were not demonstrated.     

Effect of arachidonic acid supplementation on reproductive performance of tank‐domesticated Penaeus monodon

The reproductive performance of domesticated Penaeus monodon was assessed when fed on two experimental semi‐moist maturation diets varying in their arachidonic acid content for 21 days before ablation and throughout a 17‐day reproductive assessment. The biochemical composition of the two semi‐moist two diets was similar with the exception of arachidonic acid (ARA) content; the basal diet (BAS) consisting of 0.9 g kg^?1 DM ARA (1.1% of total fatty acids) and the supplemented diet (ARA‐SUP) consisting of 5.0 g kg^?1 DM ARA (5.8% of total fatty acids). ARA/EPA and ARA/DPA ratios were 0.1 in the BAS diet and 0.5 in the ARA‐SUP diet. Fatty acid composition of the spawned eggs was comparable between diets with the exception of ARA concentration, which was higher in the ARA‐SUP (8.95 ± 0.44 g kg^?1 DM) than the BAS (3.23 ± 0.17 g kg^?1 DM) (P < 0.0001). The cumulative percentage of females spawning (mean ± SE after 17 days) (31.9 ± 7.0%; 24.1 ± 1.3%), number of spawnings per female (0.48 ± 0.1; 0.29 ± 0.02), and eggs per female (62 520 ± 16 935; 44 521 ± 9914) was significantly (P < 0.0001) higher for the ARA‐SUP than the BAS. Results of this study suggest that arachidonic acid plays a key role in promoting egg development and spawning in P. monodon.     

Nutritional evaluation of fatty acids for the open thelycum shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei: I. Effect of dietary linoleic and linolenic acids at different concentrations and ratios on juvenile shrimp growth, survival and fatty acid composition

A 6‐week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the nutritional value of dietary linoleic (18:2n‐6, LOA) and linolenic (18:3n‐3, LNA) acids for juvenile Litopenaeus vannamei by determining their effects on growth, survival and fatty acid composition of hepatopancreas and muscle tissue. Diets were formulated to contain 5% total lipid. A basal diet contained only palmitic and stearic acids, each at 2.5% of diet. Six diets contained one of three levels (0.25, 0.5 and 1%) of either LOA or LNA, and three diets had different ratios of LNA/LOA (1, 3, 9) at a combined inclusion level of 0.5% of diet. An additional diet contained 0.5% of a mixture of n‐3 highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA). The fatty acid profile of hepatopancreas and muscle of shrimp reflected the profile of the diets. HUFA of the n‐3 family showed higher nutritional value than LOA or LNA for juvenile L. vannamei by producing significantly (P < 0.05) higher final weight and weight gain. Neither LOA nor LNA, alone or in combination, improved growth significantly compared with shrimp fed the basal diet.Thus, dietary requirements for LOA and LNA were not demonstrated under these experimental conditions.     

Valine requirement of postlarval tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon Fabricius

The valine requirement of juvenile tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon Fabricius, was determined. Shrimp postlarvae, PL20, with a mean weight of 14 mg, were randomly distributed in 36 oval 40-L capacity fibreglass tanks at 10 shrimp per tank in a flow-through seawater system and reared for 8 weeks. Postlarvae were fed amino acid test diets containing 400 g kg^?1 protein with casein and gelatine as intact sources of protein. Crystalline L-amino acids were supplemented to simulate the amino acid profile of the shrimp muscle except valine. Valine was added in graded levels to obtain 7, 10, 13, 16, 19 and 22 g kg^?1 of the diet or 18, 25, 33, 40, 48 and 55 g kg^?1 of dietary protein. At termination of the feeding experiment, growth and survival were determined and nutritional deficiency signs noted. The relationship between weight gain and dietary valine level was analysed by the broken-line regression method to derive the valine requirement. The dietary valine requirement of Penaeus monodon postlarvae was found to be 13.5 g kg^?1 of the diet or 34 g kg^?1 of dietary protein. This value was lower than the level found in the shrimp tissue.     

The influence of dietary arachidonic acid on the immune response and performance of Pacific whiteleg shrimp,Litopenaeus vannamei,at high stocking density

Stocking shrimp at high densities increases yield during culture, but growth is generally compromised and weakened immune response associated with poor water quality has also been reported. Therefore, we tested if supplying more arachidonic acid (ARA) in the diet, a precursor of eicosanoids such as prostaglandins E from the series II (PGE₂) that enhance immune response can counteract the negative effect of stocking shrimp at high densities. The effect of physical crowding was separated from the effect of water quality, both a result of high density, by using tanks divided by a hard plastic net that allowed water flow between two density conditions. Crowding reduced weight gain by 8.3%, although the effect was more evident with deteriorated water quality from combined effects of high total ammonia and low dissolved oxygen levels (18.4%), but no effect on survival was found. A clear food imprinting of ARA levels in hemocytes was observed, but ARA did not clearly counteract the negative effects of high density on overall performance. However, ARA could minimize stress response of sampling and enhance some effectors of the immune system, such as clotting and respiratory burst. The increase in PGE₂ metabolite in shrimp fed with the high‐ARA diet was not consistent, and thus, the effects of ARA were not necessarily mediated by these eicosanoids.     

Assessment of cholesterol requirements in the prawn, Penaeus japonicus

Two feeding experiments were conducted to assess the quantitative cholesterol requirement of the juvenile prawn, Penaeus japonicus . The prawns were fed casein-based (experiment 1) and casein- or crab protein-based (experiment 2) diets with or without supplemental cholesterol. The daily increases in quantities of body cholesterol (mg kg⁻¹ prawn day⁻¹) at maximum growth and dietary cholesterol intake over a 40-day feeding period were determined. Prawns fed 5 g kg⁻¹ supplemental cholesterol, regardless of protein sources, gave the highest weight gain. Body retention efficiencies of dietary cholesterol (cholesterol retained × 100/cholesterol intake) vary among prawns fed 5 g kg⁻¹ supplemental cholesterol (diets 3, 5 and 7) but dietary cholesterol requirements expressed as mg kg⁻¹ body weight (BW) day⁻¹ were not significantly different (180 to 200 mg kg⁻¹ BW day⁻¹). Based on dietary cholesterol requirement, the optimum dietary cholesterol levels for the juvenile prawns were estimated in relation to feeding levels. When feeding levels were 3%, 5% and 7% of body weight, optimum dietary cholesterol levels were 5.0 to 6.0, 3.6 to 4.0, and 2.6 to 2.9 g kg⁻¹ of dry diet, respectively. The present study showed the advantages of determining daily cholesterol requirement (mg kg⁻¹ BW day⁻¹) at maximum growth through a factorial method in determining optimum dietary cholesterol levels in P. japonicus .     

The effect of dietary n-3 and n-6 fatty acid balance on the growth of the prawn Penaeus monodon

A post-hoc study of the influence of dietary fatty acids of the n-3 and n-6 series on the growth of the prawn, Penaeus monodon showed a clear example of interaction by these nutrients to influence growth. Data from three independent growth studies examining the dietary requirements for linoleic (LOA, 18:2n-6), linolenic (LNA, 18:3n-3), arachidonic (ARA, 20:4n-6), eicosapentaenoic (EPA, 20:5n-2) and docosahexaenoic (DHA, 22:6n-3) acids were standardized through a common reference to allow comparison. Analysis of the variation within the experiments was able to define effects attributable to the individual experiments or the overall dietary n-3 and n-6 levels. A generalized additive model (GAM) indicated that both parameters (experiment, and n-3 and n-6 levels) had significant ( P  < 0.05) effects on growth. Loess nonparametric modelling of the data clearly demonstrates `the effect of relationship' on prawn growth to the levels of dietary n-3 and n-6 fatty acids. The response surface model shows clear effects of both n-3 and n-6, and that the effect of n-3 changes with the level of n-6 (and vice versa). Parametric examination of the relationship ( y =–37.149 x ³ + 160.84 x ² – 118.64 x  + 290.6, r ²=0.492, P  < 0.05) between growth and the ratio between the two fatty acid classes suggested that the optimal ratio of n-3 and n-6 fatty acid is about 2.5 to 1. The results of this study demonstrated that the interaction of the dietary n-3 and n-6 fatty acid classes is an important factor of prawn fatty acid nutrition.     

Pharmacokinetics of oxolinic acid in black tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon Fabricius, and the effect of cooking on residues

This study examined the pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of oxolinic acid (OA) in black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon Fabricius, in brackish water (salinity 10 g L^?1) at 28–29°C, after intra‐sinus (10 mg kg^?1) and oral (50 mg kg^?1) administration and also investigated the net changes of OA residues in the shrimp after cooking (boiling, baking and frying). The haemolymph concentrations of OA after intra‐sinus dosing were best described by a two‐compartment open model. The distribution and elimination half‐lives were 0.84 and 17.7 h respectively. The apparent volume of distribution at a steady state and the total body clearance were estimated to be 2061 mL kg^?1 and 90.1 mL kg^?1 h^?1 respectively. The bioavailability of OA after an oral administration was 7.9%. The peak haemolymph concentration, the time to peak haemolymph concentration and the elimination half‐life after oral administration were 4.20 μg mL^?1, 4 h and 19.8 h respectively. Oxolinic acid muscle and shell levels increased to a maximum (muscle 1.76 μg g^?1 and shell 8.17 μg g^?1) at 4 h post administration and then decreased with the elimination half‐life value of 20.2 and 21.9 h respectively. Residual OA in muscle and shell was reduced by 20–30% by each cooking procedure examined.     

Effects of carbohydrate supplementation on water quality,microbial dynamics and growth performance of giant tiger prawn (Penaeus monodon)

Biofloc technology based 45-day indoor growth trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of carbohydrate (CHO), molasses supplementation on two developmental stages viz, juvenile (J) and sub-adult (SA) of Penaeus monodon in zero-water exchange system. P. monodon juveniles (1.56 ± 0.04 g) and sub-adults (14.32 ± 0.22 g) were stocked in fibre-reinforced plastic tanks (1,000 L) with soil base. Carbohydrate supplementation significantly reduced (p < 0.05) the total ammonia nitrogen (TAN), nitrite-N (NO₂-N) and nitrate-N (NO₃-N) over the time periods in sub-adult group. However, no significant difference in TAN and NO₂-N was observed in juvenile-based treatments. Supplementation of carbohydrate significantly increased (p < 0.05) the water and soil total heterotrophic bacterial (THB) count in both juvenile and sub-adults. Despite increase in total Vibrio count (TVC), lower TVC/THB % was noticed in the water column of J + CHO (0.82) and SA + CHO (0.73) compared to control groups, J ? CHO (1.48) and SA ? CHO (1.21). Supplementation of carbohydrate increased the final body weight in J + CHO (6.51 ± 0.44 g) and SA + CHO (22.52 ± 0.98 g) compared with respective controls, J ? CHO (5.05 ± 0.45 g) and SA ? CHO (20.00 ± 0.33 g). Similarly, significantly lower (p < 0.05) feed conversion ratio and better protein efficiency ratio were recorded in carbohydrate-supplemented juvenile and sub-adults treatment groups. The present study demonstrates that supplementation of carbohydrate reduced the nitrogenous metabolites and significantly enhanced the growth performance of juvenile and sub-adult of P. monodon.     

Evaluating the impact of moulting and chilled storage of spermatophores on the integrity of plasma membrane,acrosome and DNA of black tiger prawn (Penaeus monodon) spermatozoa

To explore the impact of moulting and short‐term chilled storage of spermatophores on the sperm quality for a commercially important penaeid prawn, spermatozoa of Penaeus monodon from early (B‐C), middle (D0‐1) and late (D2‐3) moult stages were compared for sperm quality parameters relating to the structural integrity of plasma membrane (Viab%), acrosome (AR%) and DNA (SDF%) after being stored at 4°C for 0–26 days. The three different sperm extenders used for chilled storage included artificial lobster haemolymph (AH), calcium free saline (CS) and filtered seawater (FS); two storage conditions were applied either as a free sperm suspension or retained within the intact spermatophore. Results showed that (a) the lowest natural AR% was shown for B‐C spermatozoa in CS whereas the highest levels were for B‐C, D0‐1 and D2‐3 spermatozoa in FS and D2‐3 spermatozoa in AH; (b) the calcium ionophore A23187 agent used in this study was able to increase the mean AR% by 6.22%; (c) the Viab% was significantly lower in CS than that in FS; (d) the SDF% significantly increased over the period of chilled storage for B‐C and D0‐1 spermatozoa, while the SDF% of D2‐3 spermatozoa was initially elevated and did not change significantly over time; and (e) there was no difference in sperm quality between two storage conditions. This study has successfully demonstrated the moult‐related variance in the percentages of acrosome‐reacted and DNA‐damaged spermatozoa, providing evidence of moult‐related spermatophore renewal cycle in this species.     

The use of passive acoustics to measure feed consumption by Penaeus monodon (giant tiger prawn) in cultured systems

The feeding inefficiencies associated with intensively cultured prawn systems have a significant financial cost and environmental impact. Initial trials of a commercial system using sound to manage feeding within cultured systems have achieved promising results with an impressive food conversion (food weight/biomass) ratio of 1.42. Whilst these results demonstrate the potential benefit of employing passive acoustics for feed management, the underlying technologies are not well understood by industry or the research community. Consequently, a sound based study of feeding tiger prawns is conducted to investigate the key challenges associated with passive acoustic approaches; sound detection and feed demand estimation. The study finds that tiger prawns produce impulsive sound signatures during feeding that can be used as a proxy of feeding activity. Spectral features of the feeding signatures can be used to detect feeding activity within acoustically complex farm ponds (feeding signal to noise ratios less than −40 dB), given they are largely disjoint from the background noise spectrum (aerators) across all farm recordings. One of the potential challenges identified with sound based feed detection is that other sources of event driven interference arise (i.e. rain and faulty aerators), which can be misclassified as feeding. Whilst our investigation indicates that sound based detection of feed events are plausible, it is unclear how accurate it is to estimate the quantity of consumed pellets from feeding sound. Our study provides evidence to support its feasibility, given the temporal evolution of feeding sounds and pellet consumption were linearly related across tank and pond based feeds, respectively (R² = 0.95 and R² = 0.96).     

Nutrient efficacy of microalgae as aquafeed additives for the adult black tiger prawn,Penaeus monodon

This study used a small amount of several lyophilized microalgae (5% of dry weight in aquafeed) to feed adult black tiger prawns Penaeus monodon for 4 weeks, aiming to promote prawn health and nutritional level. Apart from slight increases in ash content, chlorophyll and β‐carotene in the microalgae‐added feeds, there was no difference from the commercial diet in their biochemical composition. After 28 days of feeding, prawn body length, body weight, condition index and also total amount of fatty acids and amino acids of the flesh (2nd abdominal segment) were not affected by microalgae additives as compared with the control commercial diet‐fed group (P > 0.05). Prawns fed the microalgae diets, however, had a relatively better survival rate than those fed the commercial control diet, although no statistical significance was detected in any except for the diatom Melosira sp. The elevated survival rate was concomitant with a higher phagocytosis rate and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the immune response analysis, and significantly a higher astaxanthin content detected in the tail muscle of microalgae diet‐fed prawns (5.36–10.78 ng of astaxanthin per gram of muscle DW). These findings demonstrated that low‐inclusion microalgal additives in prawn diets over a short feeding period (4 weeks) can result in healthier adult prawn, and hence could contribute to the development of an optimized feeding strategy for prawn aquaculture close to harvesting.     

Poly‐beta‐hydroxybutyrate‐enriched Artemia sp. for giant tiger prawn Penaeus monodon larviculture

The beneficial effects of PHB as supplement for giant tiger prawn Penaeus monodon postlarvae using a short‐term enrichment strategy via Artemia were examined. The effects of co‐supplementing with a lipid emulsion were also evaluated to determine whether it yielded an additional benefit. Results on the average weight and larval development were not significantly different among postlarvae fed the different dietary treatments, indicating that PHB supplementation could not be used to stimulate growth in P. monodon postlarvae while such positive results have been reported in other aquaculture species. Nonetheless, significantly higher survival was obtained in postlarvae fed PHB‐enriched Artemia irrespective of lipid enrichment. In addition, PHB increased the survival of the postlarvae after exposure to a lethal dose of ammonia. Lipid supplementation nullified this effect. The cumulative mortality of postlarvae subjected to a sublethal concentration of ammonia for 24 h and subsequent exposure to pathogenic Vibrio campbelli showed that PHB but not lipids could effectively enhance the resistance of the postlarvae. Co‐supplementing lipids even significantly decreased this outcome. Our study indicates that PHB supplementation increases the quality of larval P. monodon and their chance of surviving under adverse environmental conditions. The short‐term co‐supplementation with lipid emulsion did not add to these effects.