OVERCOMING THE ARTEMIA BOTTLENECK:  CAN ARTEMIA NAUPLII BE REPLACED IN LARVAL SHRIMP DIETS?

Hatchery production of both shrimp and marine finfish is highly dependent upon Artemia nauplii as a primary feed.   Demand for Artemia cysts remains high in response to steady annual growth in the production of both shrimp and marine finfish.  However, Artemia  has several short-comings that can hinder industry advancement, including the fact that they are a limited resource.  Annual production fluctuates with the weather, and annual harvests are approaching the maximum sustainable yield.  The growing demand for a limited resource has resulted in escalating prices for artemia cysts, particularly when harvest from the Great Salt Lake are poor.  The variable cost,  supply and availability of Artemia cysts creates uncertainty and can be a potential bottleneck for the future growth of shrimp and marine finfish aquaculture.     To continue to grow, these industries will need to find alternatives to Artemia in larval diets.   Fortunately, shrimp larvae have evolved a requirement for the nutrients contained in Artemia nauplii,   rather than a requirement for Artemia nauplii themselves.  Data from commercial production trials show that an Artemia replacement diet that closely conforms to the nutritional composition of artemia nauplii can successfully replace 100% of the Artemia in larval shrimp diets with similar survival and PL quality.   Artemia replacement diets have a number of advantages over artemia nauplii, including consistency in quality, and availability, lower product cost, lower labor cost, and reduced biosecurity risks.