WILD-LIFE, MICRO-LIVESTOCK, APICULTURE, FISHERIES & AQUACULTURE

Abstract

Shrimp aquaculture is dominated by the marine penaeids, with the tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) being the most widely cultivated shrimp worldwide. During large-scale production, shrimps are exposed to stressful conditions; problems related to diseases and deterioration of environmental condition often happen and result in serious economic losses. Many studies have demonstrated positive effects of probiotics in disease prevention, raising juvenile shrimps and improving water quality. The benefits include better larval growth, higher survival rate, increased tolerance/ resistance to stress and diseases, modulation of digestive enzymes and immunity, reduced pathogen load and improvement of water quality. Probiotic supplements work better when taken at the beginning of a shrimp culture than when disease first manifests itself. The most highly researched probiotic bacteria as alternative to antibiotics are Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. bulgarium, Bifidobacterium longum, B. infantis and Bacillus spp. In this review, probiotics as alternative to antibiotic treatment, types, selection criteria and benefit of probiotics in shrimp aquaculture are being focused. Further studies are still necessary to increase the knowledge about use of probiotics to control viral infections in shrimp aquaculture production.