Nutrition and Feeding of the Brazilian Pink Shrimp Farfantepenaeus paulensis

Abstract

Shrimp farming in Brazil is currently dominated by Litopenaeus vannamei, a species of undisputed zootechnical
merits. In recent years, however, renewed interest in the farming of the pink shrimp Farfantepenaeus paulensis in
southern Brazil has been stimulated by its market value and higher tolerance to comparatively low temperature levels.
F. paulensis proved relatively easy to rear through the larval stages but juveniles reared in ponds perform poorly on
formulated feeds, usually displaying low growth rates. Recent research, however, has demonstrated that these
problems may not be as intractable as previously thought. This paper reviews the latest developments on the nutrition
and feeding of F. paulensis, with special reference to the studies conducted over the last decade by our research group.
Although extensive ecological and biological research has provided a comprehensive understanding of the biology of
this commercially important species, relatively little attention has been given to the role of naturally occurring food
items on its growth and development. One research line to be described in this presentation includes experiments
testing the usefulness of biofilm - a microbial consortium associated with extracellular polymeric substances attached
to submersed surfaces - as a food source for shrimp.
In an early study, we found evidence that the biofilm could serve as an important food source. On several trials, we
detected no significant effect in terms of survival, but shrimp from treatments with biofilm had consistently higher
growth rates than those reared in environments where biofilm was either absent or its availability was reduced. As a
positive side effect, biofilm present within culture systems resulted in a reduced exportation of phosphorus and
ammonium.