Effects of Diet and Water Source on the Nursery Production of Pacific White Shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei

Abstract Penaeid shrimp reared in eutrophic pond water grow significantly faster than shrimp in clear well water, and this growth enhancement is especially pronounced in postlarval shrimp. The objective of this study was to determine if the nutritional benefits of pond water could supplement a lower protein feed for postlarval Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei. Sixteen 230‐L tanks were stocked with 10‐d postlarvae at a density of 350 shrimp/tank. Four treatments (four replicates/treatment) were tested for 6 wk and consisted of: 1) shrimp grown in well water and fed a commercially available 45%‐protein feed (W/45); 2) shrimp grown in pond water and fed the same 45%‐protein feed (P/45); 3) shrimp grown in well water and fed a commercially available 52%‐protein feed (W/ 52); and 4) shrimp grown in pond water and fed the same 52%‐protein feed (P/52). At the end of the experiment. mean weight gain (± SE) for shrimp in pond water (1.85 ± 0.03 g) was significantly greater (P > 0.0001) than shrimp in well water (0.98 ± 0.10 g). Mean weight gain for shrimp fed the 52%‐protein feed (1.56 ± 0.13 g) was significantly greater (P > 0.0001) than shrimp fed the 45%‐protein feed (1.26 ± 0.20 g). In addition, there was a significant interaction effect between water source and feed (P > 0.0001). Mean weight gain for shrimp in the W/52 treatment (1.23 ± 0.04 g) was 68% greater than shrimp in the W/45 treatment (0.73 ± 0.03 g). However, mean weight gain for shrimp in the P/52 treatment (1.90 ± 0.03 g) was only 5% greater than shrimp in the P/45 treatment (1.80 ± 0.04 g). These results suggest that organically rich pond water provides postlarval shrimp with sufficient nutrients to compensate for nutritional deficiencies associated with a lower protein feed.