Scientific paper · 2008
Olivier Decamp, David J W Moriarty, Patrick Lavens
A scientific selection of Bacillus strains used as water probiotics effectively reduced pathogenic Vibrio loads and matched or exceeded prophylactic antibiotics in commercial shrimp hatcheries across Asia and Latin America.
Disease outbreaks caused by opportunistic Vibrio species represent a major constraint in penaeid shrimp larviculture. Prophylactic antibiotic use leads to drug resistance and environmental concerns, making microbial management an attractive alternative. Following a rigorous screening of over 70 Bacillus strains for Vibrio antagonism, salinity tolerance, non-pathogenicity, and waste degradation, a commercial multi-strain probiotic mixture was formulated and evaluated in commercial and pilot-scale hatcheries in Thailand (Penaeus monodon) and Brazil (Litopenaeus vannamei). In Thai trials, daily application of germinated Bacillus spores (1–5 x 10^4 CFU/mL) significantly reduced Vibrio counts in rearing water and resulted in harvest biomass (58.3 ± 28.7 g/tank) comparable to antibiotic prophylaxis (48.3 ± 22.3 g/tank) and significantly higher than untreated controls (18.6 ± 15.6 g/tank). In Brazilian commercial trials (20 MT tanks), daily probiotic additions yielded higher larval survival across stages from nauplii to PL10 compared to prophylactic antibiotic and formaldehyde treatments. These field data demonstrate that properly managed Bacillus probiotics provide a cost-effective, sustainable alternative to antibiotics in shrimp hatcheries.
Bacillus, probiotics, shrimp larviculture, Vibrio, Penaeus monodon, Litopenaeus vannamei, hatchery management, microbial management
Applying Sanolife® MIC probiotic at 1-30 g/m³/day in Penaeus vannamei hatcheries significantly accelerates early larval metamorphosis, enhances postlarval growth, and reduces Vibrio loads in both water and shrimp without adverse health effects.
Commercial Bacillus probiotics can replace antibiotics in Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis postlarvae production without water exchange, achieving comparable survival, growth, postlarval quality, and Vibrio control while maintaining lower nitrite levels.
A comprehensive review of biosecurity strategies across the shrimp value chain, covering broodstock management, pathogen exclusion, microbial management, and farm-level protocols to prevent disease outbreaks.
