Farinha de Spirulina como aditivo atrato-palatabilizante em dietas balanceadas para o camarão marinho Litopenaeus vannamei

Abstract

At present, there is a great effort to partially or completely replace fishmeal in artificial diets for less costly and more predictable vegetable protein ingredients. Experimental results of some studies indicate the potential of the Spirulina meal as a growth impeller in diets for marine shrimp. Despite its nutritional quality, no work has been conducted so far about the use of Spirulina meal as an additive in complete diets for Litopenaeus vannamei. The present work aimed at investigating the growth performance and feeding preference of L. vannamei raised under controlled laboratory conditions fed diets supplemented or deprived with Spirulina meal. Juveniles of L. vannamei (3.89 ± 0.25 g) were stocked under intensive conditions at 44 shrimp/tank (64 juveniles/m²) in 28 polyethylene tanks of 500 L and raised for 71 days. Diets were supplemented with 0.5% of a commercial feed attractant for marine shrimp (MAC and BAC) or with 0.5% of Spirulina meal (MSP and BSP). In MAC and MSP and BAC and BSP, inclusion of fishmeal was reduced at 25% and 50%, respectively. In a second study, diets were offered to animals in a two feeding trays clearly identified, in equal amounts, delivered at the same time in the opposite sides of each tank and simultaneously recovered. Feed remaining in each feeding tray was collected and weighted to calculate the dry weight. Weekly shrimp weight gain fed diet MSP (0.89 ± 0.03 g) was not significantly different from those fed diet MAC (0.89 ± 0.01 g). Feed conversion rate and protein efficiency rate for shrimp fed diet MSP were not significantly different from those seen for CN1 and P. Final body weight and survival of shrimp fed diet MSP were not significantly different from those observed for CN1 and P. The attractability study demonstrated that MSP showed a significantly higher preference compared to MAC diet. It can be concluded that Spirulina meal added at 0.5% in a complete diet for juveniles of L. vannamei acted as a feeding attractant capable of promoting the same effects of a commercial additive. Further work is required to evaluate others inclusion levels, cheap production techniques, compounds responsible for attractability’s Spirulina meal etc