Successful rearing of whiteleg shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei larvae fed a desiccation‐tolerant nematode to replace Artemia

The nematode Panagrolaimus sp. was tested as live feed to replace Artemia nauplii during first larval stages of whiteleg shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei . In Trial 1, shrimp larvae were fed one of four diets from Zoea 2 to Postlarva 1 ( PL 1): (A) Artemia nauplii, control treatment; ( NC ) nematodes enriched in docosahexaenoic acid ( DHA ) provided by the dinoflagellate Crypthecodinium cohnii ; (N) non‐enriched nematodes; and (Algae) a mixture of microalgae supplemented in C. cohnii cells. In Trial 2, shrimp were fed (A), ( NC ) and a different treatment ( NS ) with nematodes enriched in polyunsaturated fatty acids ( PUFA s) provided by the commercial product S.presso ® , until Postlarva 6 ( PL 6). Mysis 1 larvae fed nematodes of the three dietary treatments were 300 μm longer (3.2 ± 0.3 mm) than control larvae. At PL 1, control shrimp were 300 μm longer (4.5 ± 0.3 mm) than those fed DHA ‐enriched or PUFA s‐enriched nematodes. No differences were observed in length and survival at PL 6 between control larvae and those fed DHA ‐enriched nematodes (5.1 ± 0.5 mm; 33.1%–44.4%). Shrimp fed microalgae showed a delay in development at PL 1. This work is the first demonstration of Panagrolaimus sp. suitability as a complete substitute for Artemia in rearing shrimp from Zoea 2 to PL 6.