Nutrition, Disease, Environmental Stress, and Microorganisms in Crustacean Aquaculture

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Background

Crustaceans are a morphologically, physiologically, and ecologically highly diverse arthropod group which comprised of marine animals. Over 66,000 crustacean species are known to exist today, members of which represent an essential section of marine aquaculture that generates an annual production beyond 10 million tonnes, with sales of about 40 billion US dollars annually. The reliance on crustaceans as a source of animal protein is set to increase. Inevitably this will lead to an increase in demand from wild fishery stocks to expansion of aquaculture. However, with the expansion of aquaculture production of crustaceans (mainly shrimp and crabs), existing factors such as nutrition, disease, and environmental stress will continue to constrain the sustainability and growth of the global crustacean aquaculture industry, especially in Asian countries. Consequently, the crustacean industry is threatened by nutrient deficiency, various pathogens, and environmental stressors.

For crustaceans, nutrients such as proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates, minerals, amino acids, and fatty acids, play an important role in supporting their survival, development, and growth. Live food such as zooplankton and formulated diets are commonly utilized in the cultivation of crustaceans. However, the cultivation and management of live food for aquatic production is costly and unpredictable; the sole application of a formulated diet is difficult due to its low digestibility and the deterioration of water quality. A highly nutritious quality diet that is readily accepted and digested remains a significant challenge for better growth and development of crustacean species. Moreover, crustacean farming is also hampered by disease outbreaks and pathogenic infections; significant economic global impacts are caused by pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, and protozae in the last two decades. As invertebrates, crustaceans lack an adaptive immune system and mainly defend and protect themselves using their innate immune system. Therefore, it is necessary to fully understand the immune response mechanisms of crustaceans. Such insight would enable the institution of prudent and more effective disease control measures in crustacean aquaculture. In addition, crustaceans have been co-challenged with environmental stress (i.e. warming, low salinity, and acidification) due to anthropogenic activities such as mining and fossil fuel combustion. Some of them are considered to be particularly vulnerable to anthropogenic impacts. Thus, it is critical to understand how crustaceans respond and what effects will be caused on the survival, development, and growth of crustaceans.

Microbiota are now widely recognized as being central players in the health of all organisms and ecosystems including crustacean and its aquaculture system. Microbiota are undoubtedly involved in the nutrient digestion, disease defense, and stress response of host. It has been observed that both biotic and abiotic factors can modulate the microbiotic community in crustaceans. However, our understanding is still limited. It is critical to gain more knowledge on the alterations in microbiota profiles and interactions between microbiota and host due to biotic and abiotic challenges.

Thus, this special issue aims to stimulate interdisciplinary research on crustacean aquaculture, especially shrimp and crabs. Shrimp and crabs forming a large proportion of aquatic food destined for human consumption. Over the past decade, shrimp and crab farming have expanded rapidly bringing with huge economic benefits. However, shrimp and crab culture has been greatly impaired by inadequate nutrition, suboptimal environment, and frequent disease outbreak.

In this Research Topic, we welcome the submission of original research and review articles aimed at depicting the physiological and pathological responses of crustaceans to important aspects of aquaculture and potential role of microbiota in it. More specifically, we invite submissions related but not only limited to the following themes:
-Nutrition
-Disease
-Environmental stress
-Microbial ecology

Keywords: Crustacean aquaculture, nutrition, disease, environmental stress, microbial ecology

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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