Feeding the Future: The Critical Role of Early-stage Nutrition in Aquaculture

The nursery stages require micro feeds with precise and functional nutrition to support a strong start for fish and shrimp grow-out.

Author: Marc Campet , Aquaculture Business Development Manager, APAC.

Deeply intertwined with the region’s cultural traditions, farmed fish and shrimp play an important role in seafood supply to the Asia-Pacific region, serving as a major source of protein and nutrition. According to FAO (2024), total aquaculture production in the region, grew 193% from 2000 to 2022. In fact, the region accounted for more than 88% of global production in 2022 (FAO, 2024). From 2000 to 2018, the average annual growth rate was 5.1% (De Silva and Yuan, 2022).

Over the last 50 years, the average consumption of fish has nearly doubled across the world, spotlighting farmed fish and shrimp as one of the fastest growing sources of protein globally (New Scientist, 2021). FAO (2024) estimated an apparent seafood consumption at 20.7 kg/capita/year for 2022. To meet the growing nutritional needs of the rapidly increasing population in the region and across the world, while also improving profitability, it is crucial to ensure that fish and shrimp receive adequate nutrition to reach their full genetic potential. Precision nutrition is essential in the early critical stages of development for all animals, including fish and shrimp, as the conditions experienced early in life can have impacts on their developmental trajectory, lifetime health and performance such as their physiology, behavior, resilience and vulnerability to disease.

“..nutrition in their early life cycle is crucial for growth, organ development, resistance to pathogens, and ultimately, fillet yield at harvest.”

Challenges During the Early Stage

While there is need for precise and balanced nutrition at all stages for fish and shrimp, optimal nutrition in their early life cycle is crucial for growth, organ development, resistance to pathogens, and ultimately, fillet yield at harvest.

In the first days and weeks of life, fish and shrimp are particularly sensitive and vulnerable to fluctuations and stressors related to farm management, including environmental changes caused by transportation, transfer, vaccination, handling, population mixing, and variation in water conditions and temperatures. These commonly occur during the nursery stage where fish and shrimp are still developing their digestive and immune systems, hence resulting in mortality or reduced performance, with ultimate effect on the entire production cycle.

The nursery stage of fish and shrimp is therefore a key phase that aquafarmers need to look out for to achieve greater resistance to diseases among juveniles and increased productivity for farmers. For fish and shrimp in the nursery stage, a balanced and proper diet can help to reduce feed-conversion ratios (FCRs), improve the survival of juveniles, support increased growth, as well as counteract stress factors that may come with counting, transportation and transfers into new environments.

Precise Nutrition Solutions to Boost Performance Outcomes

Starting from early feeding, producers need to ensure that the nutritional needs of aquaculture species are met through specialised and high-quality feed dedicated to supporting healthy growth and performance. Precise feed formulations are particularly effective in supporting healthy development and growth, by delivering adequate amounts of protein, amino acids, lipids, vitamins, minerals, digestive enzymes, and functional additives to maximise aquaculture success and profit.

A crop success begins at first feeding. With complete feed as their main source of nutrients, it is critical for feed millers to tailor the feed profile to meet the nutritional and physiological requirements of the specific species at every life stage. This involves not only adjusting the amount of feed, but also considering factors such as digestibility, particle size and its behavior and stability in water. High-quality feed is typically adapted to hyper intensive culture conditions where good water stability for young fish and shrimp is critical. Precise nutritional solutions during the nursery stages can hence help increase fillet ratio, improve size homogeneity to improve profitability for farmers in the region.

A study on the effects of initial feeding on rainbow trout (Alami-Durante et al. 2014), demonstrated that an early decrease in dietary protein to energy (P:E) ratio, achieved by adding lipids to feed, had a long-term effect on the muscle growth of juvenile rainbow trout. Trout that were fed a high-fat diet maintained higher body weights even after three additional months of feeding on a commercial diet during the first 75 days of life (Alami-Durante et al. 2014). The persistent effect of initial feeding with the high-fat diet on the muscle growth of rainbow trout juveniles might also result in improved fillet quality at harvest.

Early targeted measures such as ensuring sufficient nutrition can also help decrease the risk of secondary disorders by improving the resilience and resistance to diseases, hence resulting in improved aquaculture performance.

To help farmers meet their production and profit objectives, ADM has developed a specialized and functional nutrition range to support fish and shrimp during their juvenile life stages. Manufactured using advanced micro-extrusion technology in specialized nursery feed production lines, the NANOLIS range is formulated to deliver a precise blend of functional additives, vitamins and minerals, to enhance the feed palatability and digestibility for nursery fish and shrimp. The advanced micro-extrusion technology helps preserve essential nutrients and ensures particle size homogeneity to meet the physiological demands of young fish and shrimp.

In 2022, a dedicated tilapia trial was conducted at the ADM Aquaculture Research and Development Centre in Nhà Bè, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, under the guidance of Dr Pham Minh Anh, Regional R&D Director. During the trial, fry tilapia fed with NANOLIS saw increased growth, higher feed intake, and improved feed efficacy compared to competitor mash and micro extruded pellet formulations. For the trial, 2,400 tilapia fry (a day post yolk sac absorption) were divided into three experimental groups with 800 fish in each group and given different feed mixtures four times a day. The three test groups were fed either ADM’s micro diet or mash/micro extruded pellet throughout the 40-day trial.

After 40 days, there was a marked difference in the growth of the tilapia fed this micro diet as compared to the group fed two other commercial brands of mash/micro extruded pellet. The average weight of the tilapia fed NANOLIS was 6.8g, 60% and 31% more than fish in the other experimental groups (Figure 1). During the trial, an increase in feed intake was observed between the group that were fed NANOLIS and the fish in the two other groups, as shown in Figure 2. The test group also demonstrated better feed efficiency with a feed conversion ratio of 1.01, as compared to 1.39 and 1.25 for brand #1 and #2 respectively.

The results of the trial demonstrated how NANOLIS supports a strong start for fish and shrimp by promoting growth, increasing feed intake, and reducing the feed conversion rate.

Here we show that precise and balanced nutrition during the early stages of the production cycle for aquatic species are vital in supporting productivity, profitability and sustainability to prepare juveniles beyond the nursery gate. As a global leader in animal nutrition with decades of research and development experience, ADM designs holistic nutritional solutions for aquaculture producers with quality feed ingredients. ADM’s expansive ingredient sourcing network, manufacturing expertise, distribution system, and blending capabilities enable each product to meet the unique nutritional needs of aquatic animals during their critical early life stages, hence promoting long-term positive outcomes for aquaculture producers. Ensuring success in aquaculture from the first feeding goes beyond just biomass gain; it also supports the growth and quality of fish and shrimp, ensuring optimal results at harvest.

References

FAO. 2024. The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2024 – Blue Transformation in action. Rome. https://doi.org/10.4060/cd0683en

De Silva, S.S. and Yuan, D. 2022. Regional review on status and trends in aquaculture development in Asia-Pacific – 2020. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Circular No. 1232/6. Rome, FAO.

New Scientist, 2021. https://www.newscientist.com/article/2290082-global-demand-for-fish-expected-to-almostdouble-by-2050/

Alami-Durante H, Cluzeaud M, Duval C, Maunas P, Girod-David V, Médale F. Early decrease in dietary protein:energy ratio by fat addition and ontogenetic changes in muscle growth mechanisms of rainbow trout: short- and long-term effects. British Journal of Nutrition. 2014;112(5):674-687. doi:10.1017/S0007114514001391