Researchers studying the effects of dietary shrimp protein hydrolysate (SPH) on sea bass have found that its inclusion in diets can promote health and provide protection against outbreaks of Vibrio pelagius.

To conduct the study, the research group prepared three test diets containing varying levels of fish meal and the SPH additive. The diets were fed to juvenile European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) for 110 days.

Researchers found “no statistically significant differences in somatic growth parameters nor proximate composition in fish fed different experimental diets, while the humoral non-specific immune responses (lysozyme, bacteriolytic and complement activities) were significantly enhanced by the inclusion of SPH in diets.”

Additionally, crowding and stress in the tanks led to an outbreak of the pathogenic bacteria V. Pelagius. Survival rates varied depending on the diets; groups fed diets containing SPH showed the best survival rates, while groups deprived of the SPH additive had the lowest survival.

“The present study showed that SPH can be incorporated in aquafeeds with high levels of FM substitution by PP sources without detrimental impact on the somatic growth performance of fish.”

This article includes excerpts from the study abstract, published in the Journal of Aquaculture