Comparative analysis of dietary spirulina, krill meal, and corn gluten meal on shrimp performance and coloration

Abstract This study investigates the effects of incorporating Spirulina, krill meal, and corn gluten meal as dietary additives on the growth performance and body coloration of shrimp ( Litopenaeus vannamei ). Experimental diets containing varying percentages of Spirulina (1% and 3%), krill meal (2% and 5%), and corn gluten meal (3% and 6%) were formulated by replacing fish meal at different inclusion levels and compared to a Control diet with higher levels of fish meal. Results indicated that shrimp fed with 3% Spirulina exhibited the highest final weight and best feed conversion ratio (FCR), significantly outperforming the Control and the corn gluten meal treatments. Color analysis revealed that shrimp fed 3% Spirulina had significantly lower L* values (darker color) and higher b* values (yellow hue) suggesting improved pigmentation. Despite containing xanthophylls, corn gluten meal did not produce significant changes to the yellowish tone of the shrimp when raw, with less efficiency than other pigments. After cooking, all treatments showed increased L*, a* and b* values, with shrimp fed with 3% Spirulina and 6% corn gluten meal showing the most intense red‐orange coloration. These findings highlight the potential of krill meal, spirulina, and corn gluten as natural dietary pigments and growth stimulators in shrimp aquaculture, providing valuable information to improve shrimp quality to meet market demands.