Feeding enriched <i>Artemia</i> biomass to <i>Penaeus vannamei</i> broodstock: its effect on reproductive performance and larval quality

Two experiments were conducted co-feeding Penaeus vannamei broodstock with frozen Artemia biomass. In the first experiment, animals were fed natural diets supplemented with squid (treatment SQ), Artemia (A), or enriched Artemia (EA). fn the second experiment, animals received a supplement of Artemia enriched with different products; rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and cholesterol (treatment L), rich in vitamin c, vitamin e,and astaxanthin (treatment V), or a complete enrichment (treatment LV). In experiment 1, treatment SQ gave poor results for most parameters. Supplementation with Artemia resulted in higher survival, higher maturation frequency, a higher incidence of repeated spawns, and an improved larval quality. The best results were obtained in the treatment that received enriched Artemia. In experiment 2, the highest reproductive performance was obtained through enrichment of Artemia with both lipids and vitamins (LV). By reducing the concentration of PUFA and cholesterol in the enrichment product, a decline in egg fertilization, a lower incidence of repeated spawns, and a lower egg production per female was observed. High vitamin levels played a positive role only when provided in combination with high levels of PUFA and cholesterol. If not, symptoms of oversaturation occurred