Scientific paper · 2012
Emanuell Felipe Beserra da Silva, Charles Nunes Fróes, Diego Moreira de Souza, Roberta Soares, Silvio Peixoto, Wilson Wasielesky, Eduardo Luis Cupertino Ballester
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.
This study evaluated the efficacy of commercial Bacillus probiotics as a replacement for antibiotics in the hatchery production of pink shrimp (Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis) postlarvae. A completely randomized experimental design was conducted with two treatments and four replicates: a probiotic treatment using Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis, and Bacillus pumilus without water exchange, and an antibiotic control treatment using erythromycin and formalin with daily 50% water exchange. Postlarvae were stocked at stage PL1 (0.27 mg initial weight; 4.54 mm initial length) and cultured to stage PL10. Water quality parameters and Vibrio spp. dynamics were monitored throughout the 10-day trial. At harvest, no significant differences were observed between treatments in final postlarval survival (74.3% with probiotics vs. 83.8% with antibiotics), body weight (1.90 mg vs. 2.08 mg), total length (8.78 mm vs. 8.93 mm), or qualitative health score (95.89 vs. 98.32). Nitrite concentration was significantly lower in the probiotic treatment (0.01 mg/L) compared to the antibiotic control (0.02 mg/L), while Vibrio spp. levels remained similar between treatments. Probiotics can effectively substitute prophylactic antibiotics during F. brasiliensis larviculture.
Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis, Bacillus, probiotics, shrimp postlarvae, antibiotic replacement, water quality, Vibrio
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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.
