Protein nutrition in crustaceans

Abstract

Successful commercial aquaculture of crustacean species is dependent on satisfying their nutritional requirements and on producing rapidly growing and healthy animals. This paper provides an overview of current knowledge on protein nutrition in crustaceans with emphasis on the species used in aquaculture and briefly examines important directions for future research. Research studies on the nutrition of crustaceans such as shrimp and lobster began at least 15 years after similar research on fish nutrition. Protein is the most critical ingredient in crustacean diets with regard to both the economic cost of diet production and growth response in culture. Crustaceans are reported to have higher protein requirements than finfish with levels from 60% of the diet for some postlarvae, to about 30-50% of the diet for shrimps and lobsters. Salinity, age and the physiological state of crustaceans influence to different extents the utilization of dietary protein as energy source and growth. The nutritive value of dietary protein is governed by the extent to which its amino acid content satisfies the needs of the animal in question. Essential amino acid requirements for crustaceans still need to be quantified for various species. However, the ideal amino acid profile has yet to be defined for species of crustaceans. Future studies on their physiology, protein metabolism and immunological condition are required in a range of crustaceans to complete our understanding of their protein nutrition. © CABI Publishing 2006.