Growth, survival, lipid and fatty acid profile of juvenile monaco shrimp Lysmata seticaudata fed on different diets

The present work evaluated the effect of three inexpensive diets (frozen minced mussel and edible cockle (MMC), frozen minced squid (MS) and gilthead seabream feed (GSF)) on growth, survival, sex reversal, lipid classes and fatty acid (FA) profile of juvenile ornamental shrimp Lysmata seticaudata. Shrimp fed GSF displayed the highest survival rate (±SD) (85.2±1.8%) and the highest percentage (±SD) of shrimp changing from male to simultaneous hermaphrodite (SH) phase (25.2±2.2%). All diets promoted growth rates superior to those reported in the wild, with SH shrimp displaying higher total lengths (TL). Shrimp in SH phase fed GSF displayed the highest TL (±SD) (40.6±1.2 mm). Cultured shrimp reflected the lipid content of experimental diets, with shrimp fed GSF displaying the highest triacylglycerols and sterols (ST) contents. The higher rearing density induced by lower mortality rates of shrimp fed GSF, and the high ST levels present in the diet, may explain the higher proportion of shrimp in SH phase. The higher levels of highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA) displayed by MS did not promote higher survival or growth rates. The low polyunsaturated fatty acids and HUFA content of MMC was not reflected in cultured shrimp, probably because of a selective retention of these FA.