Comparison of the effect of three distinct diets on the growth, feed efficiency, and body color of whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)

Authors

1 School of Agriculture and Aquaculture, Tra Vinh University, Vietnam

2 School of Engineering and Technology, Tra Vinh University, Vietnam

3 Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Bournemouth University, UK

10.22092/ijfs.2026.135426

Abstract

A 60-day feeding trial under composite conditions was conducted to compare the effect of three different treatments of a diet containing 55.50% Fishmeal (FM), a diet with 45.50% FM and 10% Spirulina algae (SP), and a diet with 35.50% FM and 20% Leucaena leucocephala powder (LLP) on the growth, feed efficiency, and flesh color of whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). The analysis results of Duncan’s Multiple Range post-hoc test indicated that survival rate (SR), daily weight gain (DWG), specific growth rate (SGR), feed conversion ratio (FCR), protein efficiency ratio (PER), and protein retention (PR) were significantly improved in the diets containing 10% SP and 20% LLP groups compared to the FM only diet (p<0.05). Noticeably, although the FCR in the treatment of 20% LLP was significantly lower than the treatment of 10% SP and FM, the parameters of PER and PR showed significantly higher performance in 20% LPP treatment in comparison with 10% SP and FM only. Coloration assessments by a sensory method showed that, in their raw form, shrimp fed 10% SP exhibited a more greenish hue, followed by those fed 20% LLP, and then the FM. However, in cooked shrimps, the 20% LLP group displayed the most desirable coloration. A 21-day trial with smaller whiteleg shrimp (0.45 g) confirmed that 20% LLP supplementation positively influenced body color compared to 10% SP and FM-only diets. This study shows that partial replacement of FM with plant ingredients improves shrimp color, increases production sustainability, and enhances primary productivity efficiency.

Keywords

Iranian Journal of Fisheries Sciences
Volume 25, Issue 3
May 2026
Pages 415-431

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