Utilizing Feed Effectors and Passive Acoustic Monitoring for Semi-Intensive Pacific White Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) Production

Abstract

The efficiency and sustainability of shrimp farming have been improved through developments in farm management and technology such as passive acoustic monitoring (PAM), and fishmeal-free diets. To further improve the efficiency of shrimp aquaculture, the use of feed effectors has been suggested to increase the attractability and palatability of formulated diets. Our research trial aimed to expand upon previous Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei research involving plant-based diets, feed effectors, and PAM in a laboratory setting, by conducting a feed trial in outdoor semi-intensive ponds stocked at 30 shrimp/m2 . A 13-week trial was conducted in sixteen 0.1-hectare ponds equipped with PAM-integrated feeders, which allowed for demand-style feeding. Four soy-optimized diets, consisting of an “all-plant” basal diet (AP) and three diets with an attractant (2% krill meal (KM), 2% squid meal (SM), 4% fish hydrolysate (FH)), were fed to the for a period of 74-75 days. Final production values were determined after fully harvesting each pond. Significantly more (p=0.024) of the FH diet was fed to the respective ponds than the AP diet, suggesting that the addition of FH to soy-optimized diets increases the intensity of the feed response in shrimp cultured in semi-intensive ponds. The same diets offered in predetermined amounts to shrimp in an outdoor, recirculating green water system also resulted in no significant differences (p>0.05) between treatment means for final weight or weekly growth rate. However, there was a significant difference (p=0.021) in survival between the AP treatment (85.83%) and the FH treatment (95.83%), which led to the final biomass (p=0.004) and FCR (p<0.0001) of the AP treatment being significantly different than all other treatments. The slightly poorer response observed in the AP treatment suggests that the addition of attractants may improve the performance of plant-based diets in RAS. However, further research is required to improve our understanding of the relationship between feed effectors and shrimp aquaculture.