Éditeur(s) : Elsevier
Résumé : The New Caledonia blue shrimp Litopenaeus stylirostris is commercially produced under semi-intensive rearing conditions. The size of the farming earthen ponds (5–10 ha) and the subsequent production constraints make it difficult to use them as experimental units for random experiments. Moreover, since every pond has its own characteristics, ponds' effects cannot be ruled out, thus making it hard to define true replicates. In order to design future experiments under conditions resembling those used in production, we evaluated the possible use of floating cages as experimental units with the aim of assessing treatment effects with a reasonable statistical power. To this end, two sets of floating cages were placed respectively in two different ponds in a commercial farm. In both cases the zootechnical conditions in the cages were similar in post-larvae origin, management, and diet and feeding regime. The aim of the study was to evaluate on a technical basis the possibility of rearing shrimps in floating cages set up in earthen ponds and to assess this method from a statistical standpoint. Shrimps reared in and outside the cages showed comparable growth and survival rates. The variability in the zootechnical parameters between cages, expressed as the estimated coefficient of variation (CV) for survival rate, total final biomass (g), final body weight (g), daily increment in body weight (g day− 1) and FCR were 11.0, 13.7, 4.4, 5.4, and 7.0%, respectively. On the basis of these figures, we calculated for a given statistical power (80%) the number of replicates (cages) that would be required to reveal significant differences between two treatments, at a 5% level of significance. We found that for expected differences of 20% from the control mean, 3 and 6 floating cages per treatment would be reasonable to determine statistical differences for growth parameters and survival rate, respectively. Moreover, we showed a significant pond effect in regard to survival and growth between the two sets of cages. These results illustrated the within-farm variability among the ponds, and confirmed that the specific characteristics of each pond from the same farm make it difficult to use the ponds themselves as experimental units. The study demonstrates that rearing in floating cages is an economical, powerful and sensitive experimental tool for shrimp culture studies specifically carried out under conditions close to semi-intensive production.
Aquaculture (0044-8486) (Elsevier), 2008-07 , Vol. 279 , N. 1-4 , P. 63-69

Droits : 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/2008/publication-4363.pdf
DOI:10.1016/j.aquaculture.2008.03.053
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/4363/

Éditeur(s) : Elsevier
Résumé : We studied the effects of a lactic acid bacterium, Pediococcus acidilactici (strain MA 18/5M, CNCM), as a dietary probiotic on growth performance and some nutritional and microbiological aspects of the shrimp Litopenaeus stylirostris. Experimental shrimp culture was carried out over 10 weeks, using floating cages of 14 m(2) each set in earthen ponds, in a New Caledonia farm affected by "Summer syndrome", a septicaemic vibriosis caused by Vibrio nigripulchritudo. The experiment design testing probiotic-coated pellets against control was replicated in two earthen ponds. High mortalities, characteristic of Summer syndrome, were observed during the first 2 weeks of the trial. The probiotic improved production in the treated cages from both ponds with increases in the survival rate (7% and 15% respectively) and final biomass (8% and 12% respectively). No differences were recorded among treatments on growth performances, but significant lower food conversion ratios were obtained with probiotic treatment. After 5 weeks of rearing, the Hepatosomatic Index and the adjusted dry weight of the digestive gland were significantly increased by 10% and by 9% respectively in shrimps treated with probiotic. In the meantime, the specific activities of alpha amylase and trypsin in the digestive gland showed a significant effect of the probiotic treatment with respective increases by 35% and 55%. The rise in total trypsin activity following morning feeding was also enhanced by the probiotic treatment (P < 0.001). The highest concentration of probiotic (between 10(4)-10(5) CFU g(-1) of fresh gut) in the shrimp gut was obtained 2 h after feeding. The concentration remained high for 4 h after feeding before decreasing until the next meal. Total bacterial counts on Marine agar and TCBS in the gut were significantly lowered by the probiotic treatment over the 10 weeks of the experiment. Additionally, during the first 2 weeks, prevalence and load of V nigripulchritudo strains in haemolymph was lower in animals fed with the probiotic diet. This study demonstrated, under pond conditions, that feeding shrimp with live terrestrial lactic acid bacteria can be an effective treatment for improving shrimp culture affected by vibriosis. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Aquaculture (0044-8486) (Elsevier), 2008-03 , Vol. 275 , N. 1-4 , P. 182-193

Droits : 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/2008/publication-4079.pdf
DOI:10.1016/j.aquaculture.2008.01.011
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/4079/