Biochemical Composition of Pond Biota, Shrimp Ingesta, and Relative Growth of Penaeus vannamei in Earthen Ponds

Abstract

Indigenous pond biota contribute to the nutrition of shrimp grown in semi‐intensive and extensive earthen ponds. Penaeus vannomei ingesta was used to assess the nutritional contribution of pond biota and applied feed in model 225 m2 nominally managed earthen ponds. Biochemical analyses were also performed on representative pond biota and pond environment samples. Average dry matter shrimp ingesta composition (N= 64) was: available carbohydrate, 4.2%± 1.8%; lipid, 4.8%± 2.3%; available protein, 9.6%± l.0%; carbon, 9.6%± 1.0%; nitrogen, 5.9%± 2.9%. Ingesta carbon decreased from 27.0%± 3.9% on week 2 to 16.3%± 3.3% on week 8, and nitrogen content decreased from 9.5%± 4.3% to 3.6%± 0.8% during the same interval. The decrease of ingesta C:N ratio from weeks 2 to 8 may indicate changing nutritional requirements of the shrimp. Ingesta essential amino acids varied by less than 10% from short‐neck clam protein. Except for several samples which were low in arginine, pond biota and environment samples contained amino acid profiles which were close to short‐neck clam. Essential fatty acid composition of shrimp ingesta was highly variable. Ingesta 22:6 fatty acid was present in populations of shrimp from ponds experiencing the highest weekly growth rates. Ingesta 22:6 fatty acid was not present in measurable amounts in shrimp experiencing the lowest growth. The unsaturated fatty acids 20:5 and 22:6 were absent from some pond biota and environment samples and abundant in others. The applied diet contained no measurable 20:5 or 22:6. The management implications of shrimp ingesta biochemical analyses are that diets may be fed which nutritionally complement pond biota consumed by the shrimp.

Effect of promoted natural feed on the production, nutritional, and immunological parameters of Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone, 1931) semi-intensively farmed

“…The promotion of biotic communities had a significant positive effect on all the production parameters of white shrimp, as all of them were better in T1, where the biota was promoted. More than 20 years ago, the biochemical composition of biota in shrimp ponds and its utilization by the farmed organisms was documented (Hunter et al. 1987).…”

“…It is also plausible to hypothesize that shrimp fed on formulated and natural feed may have a better immunological and nutritional condition when compared to those fed only on formulated feed, because of the greater amount of essential amino acids, fatty acids (PUFA and HUFA), and some other nutritional elements supplied by the biota (Hunter et al. 1987; Balasubramanian et al.…”

Assessment of Nutrient Allocation and Metabolic Turnover Rate in Pacific White ShrimpLitopenaeus vannameiCo-Fed Live MacroalgaeUlva clathrataand Inert Feed: Dual Stable Isotope Analysis

“…they conducted an experiment on shrimp L. vannamei reared in experimental ponds prestocked with U. clathrata biomass. Higher growth rates in farmed shrimp have been associated with the presence and ingestion of different potential food items available in the natural productivity of ponds (Hunter et al 1987, Nunes et al 1997, Gamboa-Delgado et al 2003. However, specific nutrients such as fatty acids and essential amino acids are present in low concentrations in some types of live food, and can be supplemented by the co-fed inert feed.…”

Feeding Levels of the Southern Brown Shrimp Penaeus subtilis in Response to Food Dispersal

“…Thus, their abundance in the pond bottom may also anticipate this species growth performance. Hunter et al (1987) pointed out that a major requirement in the use of nutritionally incomplete pond rations is a consistent supply of natural food, otherwise shrimp growth depression occurs. In the present study, the low growth rates found for P. subtilis (Table 3) may be attributed to the reduced availability of polychaetes.…”