by the
Alltech Mineral Management Technical Team, USA
Aquaculture is one of the fastest-growing food-producing sectors in the world. Nutrition, specifically trace minerals, is just one of several key aspects that must be considered in successful, profitable and sustainable farm management. Trace minerals are absorbed from the marine environment through gills or the body surface, but they seldom meet the total requirements for farmed aquatic species and must be provided in the diet through supplementation (Katya et al., 2017).
Trace minerals, which are required in milligram or microgram amounts, are essential elements required for normal life processes and cellular metabolism. They form components of body fluids, hormones and biological compounds such as haemoglobin. Of particular importance are copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn) and selenium (Se), which are associated with proteins within metalloenzymes responsible for catalytic function (Lall, 1989). Supplementing the right amount of trace minerals ultimately contributes to the maintenance of health, fertility, hatchability and immunity, as well as performance parameters, including growth rate, feed efficiency and flesh quality.
Aquaculture is one of the fastest-growing food-producing sectors in the world. Nutrition, specifically trace minerals, is just one of several key aspects that must be considered in successful, profitable and sustainable farm management. Trace minerals are absorbed from the marine environment through gills or the body surface, but they seldom meet the total requirements for farmed aquatic species and must be provided in the diet through supplementation (Katya et al., 2017).
Trace minerals, which are required in milligram or microgram amounts, are essential elements required for normal life processes and cellular metabolism. They form components of body fluids, hormones and biological compounds such as haemoglobin. Of particular importance are copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn) and selenium (Se), which are associated with proteins within metalloenzymes responsible for catalytic function (Lall, 1989). Supplementing the right amount of trace minerals ultimately contributes to the maintenance of health, fertility, hatchability and immunity, as well as performance parameters, including growth rate, feed efficiency and flesh quality.
Trace mineral requirements in aquaculture: What needs to be explored?
Although a delicate balance of trace mineral nutrition is required to maintain physiological processes (Lall, 1989), the exact trace mineral requirements for different aquaculture species are still being explored and are hence a subject of much debate. Excess mineral intake, either dietary or environmentally, can cause toxicity, while a deficiency can compromise immunity, therefore increasing susceptibility to disease.
The perspective from the National Research Council (NRC) is that there is much to be explored on the knowledge of trace mineral requirements for farmed fish and shrimp. Their recommendations for dietary trace minerals in all livestock species have yet to differentiate between trace mineral sources and forms. This can influence dietary inclusion rates, as well as physiological factors like mineral bioavailability and absorption and interaction with other dietary feed components.
Read more, HERE.
The Aquaculturists
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