According to the latest worldwide statistics on aquaculture, world aquaculture production has reached a record high of 114.5 million tonnes and its contribution to human consumption currently equals that of the world fisheries. Fed aquaculture represent 69.5 % of the total production and has outpaced non-fed aquaculture. In intensive farming, feed is the most expensive cost in aquaculture. The use of unconventional protein/carbohydrate sources could have a considerable economic advantage through cost reduction.
Optimized feeds for fish have long been a major concern of aquaculture. Not only should the food composition meet the nutritional requirements of the fish, it should also produce the best feed conversion efficiency, fastest growth and lowest waste. More recently, there have been growing concerns over the sustainability of fish feed, particularly with regards to improving fish health and welfare through the incorporation of feed additives as functional feed, which can increase the sustainability of the aquaculture sector.
Whatever the cultured fish species, it is crucial that aqua feed be adequate and sustainable, as feeds represent the main contribution to production costs. In the face of this challenge, in the last few decades, substantial efforts have been oriented to identify alternatives to high-cost ingredients (e.g. fishmeal and fish oil) from unconventional protein sources and carbohydrates, particularly of vegetal origin, with variable success. These attempts may not be enough if the diet profile is not improved so as to boost and maintain the good health, welfare, and immune capacity of rearing fish species, abreast of growth performance and feed conversion efficiency.
In fact, it is well acknowledged that advancements in immuno-nutrition studies largely confirm that nutritional aspects, health conditions, and the immune status of cultured fish species are closely linked. Therefore, the development of more efficient feed to enhance growth and feed efficiency and to maintain the health status of farmed fish is the most requisite for the sake of sustainability. Information depicting the effects of the interactions among diet composition and fish health and welfare allow fish nutritionists and food producers to recast and tailor their feed formulation to improve the nutritional value of the diet.
This Research Topic aims to increase basic knowledge of the nutrition of aquacultured species, by improving the understanding of the relationships between nutrition and the physiological aspects and increasing knowledge of the relationships between nutrition and health status. The topic covers aquatic organisms related directly to human consumption. Highly advanced research (including Original Research, Perspectives, Mini Reviews, Commentaries and Opinion papers) on the following fields are particularly welcomed, while other topics will also be considered:
- Nutritional physiology and metabolism
- Bioenergetics and growth physiology
- Immune parameters and welfare physiology related to feed
- Functional feeds (feed additives) : antioxidants, enzymes, compounds to improve the animals’ performance and health.
- Physiological responses of fish to nutrients, feed additives
- The effects of feeds and their constituents on gene expression (nutrigenomics).
According to the latest worldwide statistics on aquaculture, world aquaculture production has reached a record high of 114.5 million tonnes and its contribution to human consumption currently equals that of the world fisheries. Fed aquaculture represent 69.5 % of the total production and has outpaced non-fed aquaculture. In intensive farming, feed is the most expensive cost in aquaculture. The use of unconventional protein/carbohydrate sources could have a considerable economic advantage through cost reduction.
Optimized feeds for fish have long been a major concern of aquaculture. Not only should the food composition meet the nutritional requirements of the fish, it should also produce the best feed conversion efficiency, fastest growth and lowest waste. More recently, there have been growing concerns over the sustainability of fish feed, particularly with regards to improving fish health and welfare through the incorporation of feed additives as functional feed, which can increase the sustainability of the aquaculture sector.
Whatever the cultured fish species, it is crucial that aqua feed be adequate and sustainable, as feeds represent the main contribution to production costs. In the face of this challenge, in the last few decades, substantial efforts have been oriented to identify alternatives to high-cost ingredients (e.g. fishmeal and fish oil) from unconventional protein sources and carbohydrates, particularly of vegetal origin, with variable success. These attempts may not be enough if the diet profile is not improved so as to boost and maintain the good health, welfare, and immune capacity of rearing fish species, abreast of growth performance and feed conversion efficiency.
In fact, it is well acknowledged that advancements in immuno-nutrition studies largely confirm that nutritional aspects, health conditions, and the immune status of cultured fish species are closely linked. Therefore, the development of more efficient feed to enhance growth and feed efficiency and to maintain the health status of farmed fish is the most requisite for the sake of sustainability. Information depicting the effects of the interactions among diet composition and fish health and welfare allow fish nutritionists and food producers to recast and tailor their feed formulation to improve the nutritional value of the diet.
This Research Topic aims to increase basic knowledge of the nutrition of aquacultured species, by improving the understanding of the relationships between nutrition and the physiological aspects and increasing knowledge of the relationships between nutrition and health status. The topic covers aquatic organisms related directly to human consumption. Highly advanced research (including Original Research, Perspectives, Mini Reviews, Commentaries and Opinion papers) on the following fields are particularly welcomed, while other topics will also be considered:
- Nutritional physiology and metabolism
- Bioenergetics and growth physiology
- Immune parameters and welfare physiology related to feed
- Functional feeds (feed additives) : antioxidants, enzymes, compounds to improve the animals’ performance and health.
- Physiological responses of fish to nutrients, feed additives
- The effects of feeds and their constituents on gene expression (nutrigenomics).
