19 - Applications of Single Cell Oils for Aquaculture

Abstract

Aquaculture is the fastest growing food-producing sector in the world. Fish meal and fish oil are the two most important ingredients in conventional aquafeeds because of their unique nutritional value. On one hand, the use of fish meal and fish oil in aquaculture profoundly impacts and will impact finite natural resources because of their high demand and on the other hand, the general trend of global fish meal production remains relatively static or in a slight decline, due to overfishing, and climate changes periodically cause sharp declines in fish meal and fish oil supply. This chapter discusses the advances in the use of Single Cell Oils (SCOs) to replace fish oil in aquafeeds, providing a safe and sustainable alternative that will allow the continued advancement of the aquaculture industry. LC-HUFAs, such as Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA), Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA), and Arachidonic Acid (ARA) derived from microalgae, have been shown to be essential for growth and development of various fish larvae. SCOs and meals have a bright future in aquaculture, particularly in their role as a renewable source of Essential Fatty Acid (EFA), such as DHA and ARA.