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Molting or ecdysis in shrimp is considered the most essential process in its development. The shedding of the exoskeleton is a necessary precondition for growth. Without molting, shrimp growth is stunted, and will continue to consume feed without the resulting increase in body weight. It has long been known that shrimp will increase its body size and weight by as much as 5 – 10% every time it molts. Hence, the practice of timely induced molting on ready and healthy shrimp can increase production and profitability.
Ecdysone, the hormone responsible for molting in the shrimp, is hydrolysed by the shrimp from lipids and cholesterol from various feed sources, both in natural and supplementary feeds. Feed sources naturally rich or artificially enriched with lipases including cholesterases, and proteases will hasten the production of hormones in the shrimp’s Y-organs or ecdysial glands, as well as in the endocrine gland in the gut during pre-molt stage. The shrimp needs these enzymes in the specific conversion of proteins and lipids towards the production of hormones necessary for ecdysis or molting.
Likewise, during the starvation stage associated with premolt, shrimp must use their energy reserves to meet their continuing dietary and physiological requirements for growth and survival. This is a complex maneuver that certainly involves the hydrolysis of proteins to aminoacids, and glycogen to glucose using the enzymes proteases, glycohydrolases and lipases, among others. These energy reserves are primarily found in muscle tissue and in the hepatopancreas and so these enzymes must be produced in these organs and tissues. Since some of these enzymes may be deficient in the animal, or not readily available in the feed or natural sources, any shortage will have to be supplemented by artificial means.
Another added benefit to safe induced molting is to control parasites, bacterial or other infections in shrimp. For instance, when pathogenic bacteria and hemocytes aggregate at the gill openings, perhaps a shrimp defense mechanism, respiratory function is impaired and aerobic metabolism is disrupted. This leads to depressed appetite, hypoxia and eventual mortality. However, this condition is relieved when ecdysis takes place. Hence, a controlled induced molting may be the best step towards saving the crop. When the exoskeleton is discarded, the farmer can then take the necessary step of disinfecting the water column to eliminate further infection.
Induced molting, when done safely and naturally, can be an effective management tool to predict, control, and optimize growth potential in penaeid species. Common and accepted practices of induced molting in penaeid species include the broadcast of rotenone, derris root, and teaseed powder. All of these products are used in the elimination of competitor fish species in the pond, but also results in irritating the water-regulating and ion-uptake mechanisms in shrimp, triggering the shrimp to discard its exoskeleton as a defense mechanism. However, such a practice can also easily result in unintended mass mortalities.
In Our Approach, however, a timely and controlled molting in farmed shrimp can be done more safely by using the Shrimp Molt Inducer Formula, a novel procedure towards adding specific enzymes to the feed. By adding enzymes to feed, the dosing can be controlled more precisely according to current feed consumption and shell readiness of the shrimp population. Perhaps also by design and consequence, using a feed carrier allows for more efficient enzyme synthesis in the gut-located endocrine glands due to its physical proximity in the nutritional absorption process.
Benefits of an enzyme-based Shrimp Molting Inducer Formula:
- additional tool to control parasites and bacterial infections
- planned and managed shrimp growth for better control
- phenomenal growth rates and shorter culture cycles
- feed conversion ratios above the norm
- lower feed costs, higher profits
- lower mortality rates due by rapid re-supply of nutrients depleted at each molt
- higher survival due to speedy recovery from temporary starvation associated with each molt
The shrimp farmer must observe, however, that safe induced molting with the use of enzymatic formulations must be conducted along the following guidelines:
- Correct and conservative dosing of the enzymatic formula
- Induce the molting process only when shrimp exhibit dark, hard shells
- Induce the molt no more frequently than once in 7-10 days
- Not to induce molting in diseased animals unless it is clear that a change in exoskeleton will benefit the overall health.
 | Shrimp Molt Inducer SMI300 is an enzymatic complex that helps enhance the specific conversion of protein and lipid ingredients in feed toward the production of hormones necessary for ecdysis. The ready supply of lipases including cholesterases, and proteases in SMI300 will hasten the production of hormones in the shrimp’s Y-organs or ecdysial glands. SMI300 is also specially suited to control parasites, bacterial or other infections in shrimp. | | Available in 20 Liter Pail, 32x20 L Pails, 60 Liter Drum, 7x60L Drums, 200 Liter Drum |
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