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Effects of Betaine Supplementation to Feeds of Pacific White Shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei Reared at Extreme Salinities
Author(s) -
Saoud I. P.,
Davis D. A.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
north american journal of aquaculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.432
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1548-8454
pISSN - 1522-2055
DOI - 10.1577/a05-005.1
Subject(s) - litopenaeus , shrimp , betaine , salinity , biology , fishery , zoology , juvenile , aquaculture , seawater , shellfish , aquatic animal , fish <actinopterygii> , ecology , biochemistry
Shrimp production worldwide has increased dramatically, and optimal sites are no longer abundant. New farms are being constructed in areas where water salinity and ion composition are suboptimal. Aquaculturists and feed suppliers are attempting to alleviate ion nonequilibriums through nutrition. One nutritive supplement that has been marketed is the amino acid betaine. The present work evaluated the effects of betaine as a feed supplement on the survival and growth of Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei reared at extreme salinities (0.5 or 50‰). Juvenile Pacific white shrimp (mean individual weight, 0.18 g) were reared in 16 tanks: eight tanks held water at 0.5‰, and eight held water at 50‰. Shrimp were maintained for 8 weeks in four replicate tanks from each salinity treatment and offered feed with or without a betaine supplement. Survival (75–89%) and final weights (2.8–3.5 g) were typical for this species reared in indoor systems, but there was no significant influence of the presence of betaine. However, there was a significant influence of salinity on growth. These results suggest that betaine supplementation to practical diets designed for Pacific white shrimp does not improve production at extremely low or high salinities.