A study was conducted to test the inclusion of Aurantiochytrium sp. meal in the rearing of Penaeus vannamei grown in a clear water system and at a suboptimal temperature of 22 °C. The doses tested were 0 (control), 1, 2, 3, and 4% at a stocking density of 100 shrimp/m³. Rearing was carried out with aeration and individual heaters, and seawater temperature was controlled with a chiller. After nine weeks, shrimp were weighed and hemolymph was collected for hemato-immunological tests, and growth performance were calculated. Shrimp raised at 22 °C and fed a 1% of dietary supplementation of Aurantiochytrium sp. meal were superior in immunological parameters. After the dietary assay, a total of 42 shrimps (10.9 ± 0.06 g) per treatment were infected with White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV). They were orally infected with 2.6 ± 10⁶ virus particles per g of the animal, maintained at a suboptimal temperature of 22 °C for 108 h, and acclimated to an optimal temperature of 28 °C for an additional 48 h. At 7 days post infection, surviving shrimp were collected for hemato-immunological analysis. Cumulative mortality results showed that shrimp fed diets containing 3% and 4% Aurantiochytrium sp. meal had higher survival than other treatments when challenged with WSSV.

Mussel meal (species Perna perna) was evaluated as a potential feed additive for whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) diets to improve growth and cold resistance. Five experimental diets (0, 1, 2, 3 and 4% of mussel meal inclusion) were tested in quadruplicate in whiteleg shrimp, using twenty polyethylene tanks of 400 L. Each tank was stocked with 40 shrimp (3.5 ± 0.5 g), filled with seawater and kept under constant aeration and a temperature of 28.4 ± 0.4 °C. After 8 weeks, the growth and feed efficiency of the shrimp were evaluated, and a thermal shock was administered. The shrimp that were fed with the addition of 3 or 4% mussel meal in their diets showed similar results as the control (0% inclusion), while the addition of 1 or 2% mussel meal in the diet resulted in a significantly higher final weight, weight gain and relative growth rate and a lower feed conversion ratio. Further, no differences were observed in thermal shock resistance and survival among the treatments. In conclusion, mussel meal can be used as a feed additive in whiteleg shrimp diets to improve growth, and quadratic regression models indicate that the best levels of inclusion range from 1.73 to 2.00%.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the continuous use of the settling chamber for solids removal in the cultivation of the marine shrimp Penaeus vannamei and the halophyte Salicornia neei in an aquaponic system with bioflocs. Two treatments were tested: with settling and without settling. Each experimental unit consisted of an 800 L tank for shrimp rearing (stocking density of 375 shrimp m⁻³) and a hydroponic bench of 0.33 m² for 28 seedlings (84 plants m⁻²). In the treatment without settling, water was continuously pumped to the hydroponic bench. In the treatment with settling, the water was first pumped to the chamber, and the overflow was then distributed across each irrigation channel, returning to the tank by gravity. To maintain the concentration of suspended solids in the shrimp culture, solids that accumulated in the settling chamber were pumped back into the tank every 30 min. During the 54-day trial, the reduction in suspended solids in the treatment with settling led to an increase in TAN and NO₂ levels, while the concentration of NO₃ remained stable. Although water quality parameters were more stable in the treatment without settling, no significant differences were observed between the treatments regarding plant and shrimp production indices. These results demonstrate the feasibility of cultivating P. vannamei and S. neei in a biofloc-based aquaponic system without the continuous use of a settling chamber during the pre-grow phase (until 10 g), offering a potential method for simplifying aquaponic system design.

Shrimp farming is practiced worldwide in tropical and subtropical regions, where shrimp often experience suboptimal temperatures during part of the production cycle, resulting in slower growth. A concentrated functional palatability enhancer (FPE) containing a mixture of chemoattractants was tested. A 12-week experiment at a suboptimal temperature (22 °C) was conducted with Penaeus vannamei (3.25 ± 0.02 g) in a clear water system (400 L with 40 shrimp per tank) with flow-through seawater. A standard diet was supplemented with 0, 1, and 2 g kg⁻¹ of FPE (STD, STD+1, and STD+2) with four replicates for each one. The inclusion of 1 g kg⁻¹ of FPE (STD+1) significantly increased the average final weight by 11.24% and weekly weight gain by 14,00% when compared to STD. The highest tested dose (2 g kg⁻¹) did not result in further improvement in growth performance compared to the control. In addition, the total hemocyte count (THC) remained at an optimal level for the species in the STD+1 treatment under suboptimal temperature conditions compared to the other treatments. We also observed a decrease in Vibrio spp. bacterial counts in STD+1 compared to STD+2. Therefore, the lowest tested dose was shown to positively influence the rearing of P. vannamei at suboptimal temperatures.

The aim of this case study was to investigate and describe water quality and growth performance of Penaeus vannamei produced in a super‐intensive biofloc system (BFT) under diverse water conditions (seawater and low‐salinity water) in the state of Virginia, USA. Three individual indoor super‐intensive grow‐out trials were conducted using a stocking density of 500 shrimp m⁻³ at salinities of 23 g L⁻¹ for 70 days (TI), 28 g L⁻¹ for 69 days (TII), and 2 g L⁻¹ for 30 days (TIII). Key water quality management strategies included: (TI) BFT system; (TII) BFT system and probiotic; (TIII) BFT system, probiotic, water reuse, and artificial substrate. TII exhibited the highest mean total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) concentration (2.60 mg L⁻¹), and the greatest variation in TAN levels, which were controlled from day 35 onward. TAN levels remained relatively stable in TIII. TI exhibited the highest mean nitrite concentration (3.66 mg L⁻¹) and the greatest variation, with a spike that was successfully controlled from day 35 onward. In contrast, nitrite concentrations in TII displayed a continuous upward trend from day 28 without any indication of stabilization. Nitrite concentrations in TIII remained consistently low, never exceeding 0.5 mg L⁻¹ throughout the experiment. Nitrate concentrations exhibited a consistent upward trend across all trials. The final weight of shrimp in TI and TII was 11.03 g and 13.62 g respectively, while in TIII it was 4.86 g. Survival rates were 77.67% in TI, 86.00% in TII, and 87.00% in TIII. Yield values were 4.28, 5.81, and 2.12 kg m⁻³ for TI, TII, and TIII, respectively. Our findings indicated slower nitrification rates in TI and TII compared to TIII. Water reuse, probiotic inoculation, and artificial substrates in TIII resulted in significantly lower and more stable levels of ammonia and nitrite compared to TI and TII, indicating a mature system with improved control for nitrogenous compounds. These findings demonstrate the successful application of integrated BFT strategies, including water reuse, probiotic inoculation, and artificial substrates, in enhancing the super‐intensive indoor production of P. vannamei using both seawater and low‐salinity water. These results have significant implications for the development of shrimp farming in the state of Virginia, USA.