Chemoreception in Decapod Crustacea and Chemical Feeding Stimulants as Potential Feed Additives

Abstract

Types of chemical feeding effectors are listed, and locations and functions of decapod chemoreceptors are discussed. Low molecular weight substances found most stimulatory in behavioral, physiological, and electrophysiological studies on decapods are tabulated. Most of these chemicals have not been widely tested, and some are prohibitively expensive for use in feeds. The most generally stimulatory single substances are L‐glutamic acid, glycine, and taurine. Mixtures of substances can be more effective than single substances; e.g., the use of betaine plus amino acids shows some promise.

Effect of attractant stimuli, starvation period and food availability on digestive enzymes in the redclaw crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus (Parastacidae)

“…Subsequently, when the animal is sufficiently close to or in contact with potential food, their chemoreceptors play a fundamental role in acceptance or rejection of potential food (Heinen 1980). Thus, given the feeding habits of C. quadricarinatus and our results, we propose the hypothesis that C. quadricarinatus mainly finds food due to the time they invest in environmental wandering.…”

“…Mackie (1973) determined that the squid-soluble extract is rich in proline, glycine, alanine and arginine. According to Heinen (1980), glycine and arginine act as attractants in decapod crustaceans. Tierney & Atema (1988) found that cellobiose and sucrose are important feeding stimulants for Orconectes rusticus; the amino acids glycine and glutamate elicited feeding movements in O. rusticus and O. virilis crayfish.…”

The importance of behaviour in improving the production of shrimp in aquaculture

“…; Grey et al . ), especially for species such as L. vannamei (Heinen ; Costero & Meyers ; Gadient & Schai ; Peñaflorida & Virtanen ; Nunes et al . ).…”

Validation of a Feeding Stimulant Bioassay Using Fish Hydrolysates for the Pacific White Shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei

“…Supplementation with feeding stimulants and palatability enhancers can increase the acceptance of artificial diets (Heinen 1980; Akiyama 1986; Holland and Borski 1993; Lee and Meyers 1997; Smith et al 2005). Protein‐rich ingredients of marine origin, such as fish, squid, and shrimp meals, have been used as feeding enhancers (Smith et al 2005).…”

“…Feeding enhancers are especially important when developing diets containing large amounts of plant protein sources to preserve feed attractiveness and induce adequate feed consumption levels by shrimp (Nunes et al 2006). For diets utilizing significant levels of plant protein, the addition of attractability enhancing ingredients can increase ingestion rates and improve growth, survival, and food conversion (Heinen 1980; Carr 1988; Lee and Meyers 1996). Enhanced ingestion can also minimize leaching of feed nutrients caused by the slow feeding behavior of shrimp (Penaflorida and Virtanen 1996; Nunes et al 2006).…”