Evaluation of ultra‐low gossypol cottonseed and regular glandless cottonseed meals as dietary protein and lipid sources for Litopenaeus vannamei reared under zero‐exchange conditions

The current study evaluated transgenic cotton lines with normal levels of gossypol/terpenoids in the vegetative and floral tissues, but with ultra‐low gossypol in the seeds as a replacement for glandless cottonseed meal (GCSM) and fishmeal. A 64‐day growth trial evaluated the ability of cottonseed meals from a natural glandless cotton variety/mutant, two transgenic Ultra‐low Gossypol Cottonseed (ULGCS) lines, a non‐transgenic parental control and a commercial variety, to replace 355 g kg^?1 fishmeal in a diet containing 350 g kg^?1 crude protein. Juvenile Litopenaeus vannamei (1.48 ± 0.29 g) were stocked (40 shrimp m^?3) with six replicates. No significant differences were found between all formulated diets in terms of final weight, survival and feed conversion ratio. The commercial cottonseed variety displayed a significantly lower feed efficiency ratio and protein efficiency ratio than one of the ULGCS diets. These results suggest that GCSM and/or transgenic ULGCS meals can be used to replace fishmeal in commercial shrimp diets.     

Effects of dietary aflatoxin B1 on growth performance,body composition,haematological parameters and histopathology of juvenile Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)

An 8‐week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) on growth performance, haematological parameters and histological changes in juvenile Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. Six practical diets (455 g kg^‐1 protein, 78 g kg^‐1 lipid) with different levels of AFB₁ (0, 25, 50, 100, 500, 1000 μg kg^?1) were formulated. Each diet was fed to triplicate groups of shrimps (initial weight: 0.52 g). The results showed that shrimp fed with control diet (0 μg kg^?1 AFB₁) had significant higher weight gain (WG) and specific growth rate (SGR) than other groups. However, there were no significant differences in feed efficiency (FE) or hepatosomatic index (HSI) among all groups. Compared to the control diet, AFB₁ supplementation significantly changed the activities of shrimp serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total antioxidant capacity (T‐AOC) and glutathione S‐transferase (GST) and the content of cholesterol (CHO). Histological damages were identified in the hepatopancreas of shrimp when dietary AFB₁ level was over 107.6 μg kg^?1. Based on this study, it was concluded that the AFB₁ level in Pacific white shrimp diet should be <38.1 μg kg^?1.     

Food sources and trophic relationships of three decapod crustaceans: insights from gut contents and stable isotope analyses

Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis), freshwater shrimp (Macrobrachium nipponensis) and red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) are important culture species in China and have world‐wide introduced distributions. The trophic role of these three decapods has not been compared within a system although they consume plants, animals, and detritus and often co‐occur in freshwater ponds. A combination of stable isotope measurements and gut content analysis was used to determine the main food sources and trophic niche of three benthic decapods, in commercial crab ponds around Lake Gucheng, China. Observation of the gut contents reflected a variety of prey items ingested by three decapods. Macrophytes made up the highest contribution to the volume of their gut contents, followed by forage fish, corn and mollusks. Stable isotope analysis supported a stronger relationship between crayfish and vegetable matter than with animal matter, while both crab and shrimp were the opposite. An isotopic mixing model indicated that about 60% of crab and shrimp production originated from animal matter, while only 40% of crayfish production was ascribed to consumption of animal matter. Although results from the mixing model corroborate the gut content findings in most cases, stable isotope results showed that three decapods obtained more energy for growth from animal matter than what would be estimated if gut analysis was used alone. Estimates of niche overlap indices indicated a high degree of dietary overlap among the three decapods examined, suggesting that shrimp and crayfish density should be controlled if considering economic benefits of pond aquaculture.     

Retracted: Effect of concentration of the microalga Dunaliella tertiolecta on survival and growth of fairy shrimp,Phallocryptus spinosa Milne Edwards, 1840 (Crustacea: Anostraca)

We investigated the effects of concentration of the microalga Dunaliella tertiolecta on the growth and survival of fairy shrimp, Phallocryptus spinosa. Newly hatched nauplii were stocked into containers, maintained at different concentrations of D. tertiolecta (at 18, 36, 54, 72 and 90 × 10⁶ cells mL^?1). All treatments were in quadruplicate and each replicate was stocked with 100 larvae in a 2‐L cylindrical bowl. We studied the survival and growth of the fairy shrimp after 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 days of culture. The results indicated significant differences, in terms of growth and survival, of fairy shrimps fed at different algal densities. The highest and lowest growth and survival among the treatments were observed on Day 15, the highest in animals fed at a concentration of 90 × 10⁶ cells mL^?1 and the lowest in animals fed at a concentration of 18 × 10⁶ cells mL^?1. We conclude that the growth and survival of the P. spinosa increased with increasing density of algae, to a threshold level. Within certain concentration limits, the addition of D. tertiolecta substantially improved the performance of larval culture of P. spinosa, suggesting that this fairy shrimp has potential in terms of aquaculture development.     

Assessment of a biofilm‐based culture system within zero water exchange on water quality and on survival and growth of the freshwater shrimp Neocaridina heteropoda heteropoda

The contribution of biofilm to water quality and as a food source for the culture of the freshwater shrimp Neocaridina heteropoda heteropoda was assessed in indoor aquaria using a zero water exchange system. Two successive phases were conducted to evaluate biofilm development on different substrates (polyethylene net: PN, plastic bottles: PET, agrovelo: AV) and the effect of biofilm to shrimps culture. The biofilm grown on all substrates helped to keep a good water quality by the uptake of nitrogen compounds and the production of high levels of dissolved oxygen associated to the proliferation of autotrophic microorganisms. High survival, reproduction and hatching of shrimps were achieved in all groups mainly associated with good water quality. Final biomass of the shrimps was significant higher for PN and AV groups; while specific growth rate and the levels of lipids of the shrimps yielded similar values for all treatments indicating that the three substrates allowed the growth of a biofilm that resulted in a healthy food source with similar nutritional value for shrimps. The results show that the production of N. heteropoda heteropoda could be successfully conducted by a biofilm‐based culture system with no water exchange, and thus contributing to a better water use. All materials tested were suitable substrates for biofilm growth, though AV and PET could reduce significantly production costs when compared to the PN. Moreover, by the recycling and reuse of waste materials (such as plastic bottles) could contribute to the development of a responsible, sustainable and environmentally friendly culture method.     

Productivity benefits of selectively breeding Black Tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) in Australia

Advances in the domestication and selective breeding of Australian Black Tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon, opens the opportunity for world producers to reconsider the benefits of farming this species. Just over a decade ago this species was the world's most farmed shrimp species, however, difficulty in its domestication, in part, led to the widespread establishment of Penaeus vannamei (Pacific White shrimp) as the most farmed shrimp species in the world. This study empirically evaluates the productivity benefits of commercially domesticating P. monodon against production from wild broodstock of the same species. The evaluation compared the relative production from commercial ponds stocked with the progeny of wild P. monodon broodstock and ponds stocked with the progeny of domesticated stocks. The production data were from 164 ponds of domesticated stocks and 30 ponds of wild stocks, collected over 4 years (2009–2013) from two separate farm sites of the same Australian shrimp farming company. The wild stocks were sourced from the east coast of Australia. The results suggested that the productivity of the selectively bred stocks was 39% greater compared with production from wild stocks given equivalent amounts of feed and other inputs. Furthermore, productivity was additionally enhanced depending on the choice of feeds and whether stocking took place in September rather than later in the year (i.e. in early spring rather than late spring/early summer in the Southern hemisphere). This suggests that there is significant potential to further enhance the productivity of P. monodon farms via integrating advances in domestication, feeds and management practices.     

Payments for ecosystem services in developing world fisheries

Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) is a powerful economic tool that gives positive conditional incentives for the provision of additional ecosystem services over the status quo, which has been used widely in terrestrial conservation. Interest in the concept of marine PES has recently emerged, but the fluid, transboundary and often common pool nature of marine ecosystems presents challenges for PES design and implementation. Here, we consider the potential role of PES in addressing current gaps in fisheries management. Used in combination with conventional regulatory approaches, PES may increase private sector engagement and generate more sustainable financing for fisheries management whilst spreading accountability throughout the supply chain. The approach is most likely to be feasible and effective in commercially valuable fisheries with: (i) demand for one or more ecosystem service and a threat to supply; (ii) suitable baseline data available and potential management actions underpinned by robust science; (iii) clarity and security of property rights; (iv) capacity for hybrid multi‐level governance; (v) capacity for rigorous monitoring, control and surveillance; and (vi) potential for financial sustainability of the scheme. An examination of four contrasting fisheries – Namibian hake, Mozambican shallow‐water shrimp, Western and Central Pacific skipjack tuna and Bangladesh hilsa – demonstrates that a developing world fishery will rarely fulfil each of these preconditions a priori, but that the potential for successful application of PES still exists. In practice, PES design will depend on the institutional context and require creative and innovative approaches to the maintenance of conditionality and additionality.     

Water Temperature in Inland,Low-Salinity Shrimp Ponds in Alabama

Water temperature in eight ponds and air temperatures were monitored at 2-h intervals during the 2010 growing season at an inland, low-salinity shrimp farm in Alabama. There was a high correlation (P < 0.01) between mean daily air and water temperatures; pond water usually averaged 3° to 4°C warmer than air. Monthly mean water temperatures among eight ponds differed by 3.40°C in May and by 2.83°C in September, but there was less than 1°C difference among ponds in June, July, and August. Differences in temperature among ponds were not related to pond water surface:volume ratio, but in July and September there was a negative correlation (P < 0.05) with increasing aeration rate. Negative correlations (P < 0.05) between average water temperature over the entire culture period and survival and production of Pacific white shrimp, Litopeneaus vannamei, possibly resulted from variation in crop duration and were not causal. Nevertheless, differences in water temperature among ponds in May and September were great enough to have possibly caused differential shrimp survival and production among ponds.     

Effect of Vibrio Bacterial Product CIBASTIM Administration on Productivity in Commercial Tiger Shrimp Penaeus monodon Culture Ponds in Gujarat

A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of an immunostimulant product prepared from vibrio bacterial components on production of Penaeus monodon culture in five commercial shrimp farmer’s ponds in the Navsari district of Gujarat. The product was administered at the concentration of 2 × 10⁸ cfu/kg pelleted feed as top dressing using a commercial binder for two consecutive days in a week. In general, we observed improvement of up to 33.33% in average body weight, up to 44.83% in survival rate, up to 11.11% in FCR, and up to 50.00% in production per ha over untreated control ponds on the same farm. Administration of this vibrio bacterial product could improve shrimp production in Gujarat.     

Effect of Protease Treatment on Oil Extractability of Carotenoids from Shrimp Waste

Crustacean waste is an important source of natural carotenoids. Carotenoids in shrimp waste occur as a complex with proteins. Investigations were carried out to assess the effect of hydrolyzing shrimp waste with different proteases on the subsequent recovery of carotenoids in vegetable oil. Hydrolyzing the shrimp waste with the bacterial protease alcalase gave higher extraction yields in oil (28.6 μg/g waste) compared to hydrolyzing with the plant protease papain (24.8 μg/g) or the animal protease trypsin (25.3 μg/g). Optimized conditions for alcalase treatment and extraction of carotenoids was determined to be hydrolysis of shrimp waste with 0.75% of alcalase at 37°C for 150 min, adding sunflower oil to hydrolyzed waste in a ratio of 2:1, and heating at 70°C for 90 min. Prior hydrolysis of waste considerably reduced the heating time required for maximum extraction of pigments, which may help in preventing the carotenoid degradation during prolonged heating in oil.