Abstract
The interest for krill-based ingredients for aquaculture feed applications has increased steadily in recent years. For decades, there has been a heavy reliance on the limited sources of fishmeal and fish oil in the salmonid aquaculture industry. Further growth in farming of carnivorous fish is dependent on new feed resources becoming available. The only unexploited marine resources of significant biomass are found at lower trophic levels, of which the Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) has a high potential. Apart from being the biggest single species biomass, Antarctic krill is also rich in nutrients, such as omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, phospholipids, astaxanthin, vitamins, and minerals. This makes Antarctic krill a high-quality source of health-beneficial lipids and proteins. The present article provides an overview on the documented benefits of feeding salmonids (Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)) with krill products (krill meal, krill oil, and krill hydrolysate), focusing on growth performance (feed intake, growth rate, and feed conversion), fillet quality, slaughter yield, and health benefits in terms of reducing fat accumulation in liver and intestinal tissues. Besides, the article discusses possible future studies, to widen the knowledge on krill benefits in salmonids and to unravel the underlying mechanisms.
Highlights
The interest for krill-based ingredients for aquaculture feed applications has increased steadily in recent years
The present article provides an overview on the documented benefits of feeding salmonids (Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)) with krill products, focusing on growth performance, fillet quality, slaughter yield, and health benefits in terms of reducing fat accumulation in liver and intestinal tissues
The sustainability and the nutritional values of krill meal (KM) along with high palatability were some of the attractive features for both the farmers and aquaculture industry to test the inclusion of KM in salmonid feeds
Summary
Krill constitute a group of marine, pelagic crustaceans. They belong to the order Euphausiacea, in which about 85 species have been recorded [1]. Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) is one of the most abundant species on earth, with an estimated biomass of around 500 million tons [2]. The commercial harvesting is even lower than the quota permitted, representing less than 0.5% of the unexploited biomass These strict regulations of Antarctic krill harvesting have led to an increase in its biomass over the years, from 60.3 million tons measured in 2000 to 62.6 million in 2018/19 according to the findings from CCAMLR [4]. The sustainability and the nutritional values (phospholipids, omega-3 fatty acids, highquality marine protein, and astaxanthin—serving the dual role of natural antioxidant and a carotenoid source) of krill meal (KM) along with high palatability were some of the attractive features for both the farmers and aquaculture industry to test the inclusion of KM in salmonid feeds. This review is aimed at providing an updated knowledge on the usage of krill in salmonid aquaculture diets (Table 1, Figure 1)
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