World Aquaculture 2023

May 29 - June 1, 2023

Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia

EFFICACY OF NOVACQPRO™ BACTERIAL BIOMASS AS A BIOACTIVE COMPONENT OF PACIFIC WHITE SHRIMP Litopenaeus vannamei FEEDS

D. Allen Davis*, Magida Tabbara, Adela Araujo, Sidra Nazeer, Silvio Peixoto, Richard Smullen, and Matthew Briggs

 

School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences

Auburn University

Auburn, AL 36849,

davisda@auburn.edu

 



Good shrimp growth is a primary production consideration for good economic returns. Hence, there is considerable interest in developing diets that promote growth and survival. A number of bioactive feed components are supplemented in shrimp feed to improve feed intake and growth. NovacqProTM is a high ash low protein marine microbial biomass proven to improve Litopenaeus vannamei growth. The present study evaluated the effects of supplementing NovacqProTM on growth, feed intake, and digestibility of juvenile L.vannamei. Six isonitrogenous (36% crude protein) and isolipidic (6% crude lipid) diets were prepared to include graded levels (0-20% of the diet) of NovacqTM. Diets were used in two growth trials, where 15 juvenile L.vannamei (0.27±0.01g and 0.58±0.02g, respectively) were size sorted and stocked in an indoors recirculating aquaculture system. Each diet was randomly assigned to five replicate tanks. In the second trial, two additional treatments consisting of providing the basal and the 10% Novacq diets in excess (+15% of the standard ration), were added. Additionally, feed intake was assessed by offering shrimp one gram of “as is” feed, then siphoning leftovers after 30 minutes to calculate feed consumption. Feed intake was also assessed via passive acoustic monitoring of shrimp feeding behavior. Afterwards, digestibility of NovacqProTM was evaluated by offering shrimp diets containing 5% and 10% of the product with 1% titanium oxide as inert marker. Results of the present study suggest that NovacqProTM can be supplemented at up to 20% of shrimp diets without significant effects on growth, survival, and FCR (p>0.05) (Table 1). However, when offered in excess, diets containing 10% NovacqProTM resulted in better growth, and FCR. Acoustics data support the growth results. NovacqProTM as bioactive feed component promotes shrimp growth, and helps imrpove production and increase profit.