The Pathology of Nutritional Disease
Document Type
Book Chapter
Publication Date
2024
Abstract
The present chapter covers feed-related diseases and disorders in fish and crustaceans based on nutrient deficiency, suboptimality and toxicity, and health impacts of foodborne contaminants. Despite the increased knowledge and progressive strides in aquaculture nutrition over the past five decades, nutritional deficiency disorders may still appear because of significant shifts in feed ingredients, feed composition, and technical production. Traditional marine feed ingredients, like fish meals and fish oils, are rich and balanced in nutrients for farmed aquatic animals, but there has been a shift to using alternative and novel ingredients in fish farming. Increasing the use of an extensive repertoire of plant-based ingredients, novel proteins, and lipid sources causes variability in the nutrient content and the associated bioavailability for the farmed species. An increased need for catered nutrients in farmed fish has also been requested to assist in overcoming challenging farming conditions, climatic changes, and management routines, as well as for genetically selected or modified species for improved production and welfare. Additionally, alternative, novel and foreign feed ingredients may contain unique and higher concentrations of undesirable compounds like heavy metals, medical residues, pesticides, mycotoxins, and other biotoxins and antinutrients. To understand the impact of these dietary ingredients, producers must carefully investigate the pathologies observed on the farm and utilize tools such as histopathology, molecular techniques, and genomics to better elucidate causes and effects. Through this approach, mitigation, refinement, and optimization can be applied to these ingredients to enhance the quality of the farmed species. It is imperative to ensure that future sustainable aquafeeds do not harm any part of the food chain, from the health of the farmed species to the health of the consumer and, further, to the environment and ecosystem.
Recommended Citation
Waagbø, R., Remø, S. C., Ragaza, J. A., Kelly, A. M., Bruce, T. J., & Kumar, V. (2024). The Pathology of Nutritional Disease. In V. Kumar (Ed.), Feed and Feeding for Fish and Shellfish: Nutritional Management (pp. 335-381). Elsevier. https://archium.ateneo.edu/
