Chapter 5 - Probiotics, prebiotics, biofloc systems, and other biocontrol regimens in fish and shellfish aquaculture

Abstract

Bacteria are ubiquitous in culture systems and may be beneficial, benign, or pathogenic to the host. It is possible to increase the abundance of beneficial bacteria in the culture water or intestines of fish and shellfish with probiotics, prebiotics or create an environment favorable to probiotics via biofloc technology (BFT). Essentially, probiotics are microorganisms that improve the health of animals. Prebiotics are nonliving ingredients that are indigestible to the host animal but are digestible by probiotics. As such, prebiotics can selectively increase probiotic abundance in the host intestine. Thus, these additives are linked. There is also a link with BFT in which an organic carbon source is added to the water, which selectively favors heterotrophic bacteria that have probiotic characteristics. Thus, the added organic carbon source can act as a prebiotic. The current trends of more intensification and use of plant-based ingredients may increase the risk of disease outbreaks and compromise immunity, respectively. However, some of these issues can be mitigated by probiotics, prebiotics, and BFT, and thus will likely increase in popularity for disease management.