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Particularities of the Shrimp Immune

System: What are the Impacts on Overall


Stress Resistance in Shrimp Farming?
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Shrimp do not have the same immune system as vertebrates. This characteristic has a
significant impact on shrimp farm management: it prevents these crustaceans from
becoming immune to disease through vaccination. Since shrimp lack an adaptive
immune system, innate immunity is their essential form of defense. This immunity acts
as first-line protection from the disease and mortality threats that can potentially affect
prawn stocks. How does the shrimp immune system function? How can its defenses be
stimulated for reducing the overall impact of stress on shrimp farms?

Shrimp are animals whose immune system differs considerably from that of vertebrates. This
specificity has a direct impact on shrimp farming. Indeed, shrimp cannot be vaccinated.
Therefore, new disease outbreaks such as the White Spot Syndrome Virus, the Taura
virus, the Yellow Head Virus or, more recently, the Early Mortality Syndrome, are
always considered to be major events in the industry.

Particularities of the shrimp immune system

Shrimp Immune System

Animals are endowed with various types of defense systems, as follows:

physical barriers such as skin, mucus, the exoskeleton, and the microflora;

innate immunity: this form of immunity is common to vertebrates and shrimp. It is


generic, non-specific, reactive, and oriented towards what is the 'non-self', i.e. external
aggressions. It acts as a first line of defense;

acquired immunity: this form of immunity is highly specific of a given pathogen.


Crustaceans are devoid of it.
The very principle of vaccination consists in inoculating a pathogen that has been rendered
harmless into a healthy animal. This pathogen aims to stimulate the organisms natural
defenses (the immune system). This primary immunitary reaction triggers a memory that
allows the organism to defend itself more effectively in the event of ensuing infection by the
same pathogen. This reaction is impossible in shrimp due to their lack of immune memory.
Recent research has shown that shrimp and other decapods are nevertheless able to develop
an immune response close to that of specific higher vertebrates. Yet, a large-scale application
of these results would be premature.

How to compensate for the lack of acquired immunity in


shrimp?
In aquaculture, both farming practices and environmental conditions subject shrimp to
stressful situations that impact them strongly.These stressors (pollution, low level of oxygen,
temperature variations, sorting and transfer, osmotic shock) can directly cause death or favor
the development of opportunistic pathogens and mortal infections. As with all livestock
species, the best way to reduce these impacts on farmed shrimp is by erecting a number of
barriers so as to prevent the development of pathogens. In this respect, physical and sanitary
barriers are the most effective means of prevention.
Given the lack of real specific immunity in shrimp, it is essential to resort as much as possible
to the expression of their non-specific immunity.
Yet, a state of zero risk does not exist: aquaculture facilities are regularly contaminated by
bacteria, viruses, or parasites. In this respect, certain substances with immunostimulatory
effects can help prepare the shrimps body against the risk of disease outbreaks.The term
"immunostimulant" generally encompasses all components that have demonstrated their
ability to improve one or more measurable responses stemming from the shrimps
nonspecific system. Immunostimulants aim to keep the immune system of shrimp alert by
triggering a response from their non-specific immune system. In this respect, eta glucans
and Manno-oligosaccharides (MOS) are particularly known to improve the resistance to
bacterial and viral infections by activating the immune system and the function of
phagocytic cells. Furthermore, antioxydants such as Vitamin C and Vitamin E can help
increase stress resistance. Trace elements, such as selenium, also have anti-oxidant
properties and can limit the effects of free radicals.
It is important to ensure that these immunostimulatory substances are provided in sufficient
amounts through feed or directly in the context of rearing, especially during stressful or
pivotal periods: sorting and transfer, osmotic shock, etc.

Would you like to find out more about stress management in shrimp and the available
solutions to reduce its effects in farms? Thanks to its thorough knowledge of shrimp
nutritional requirements, the TECHNA Group can provide you with support in
conceiving and manufacturing your shrimp feed. Please contact our experts!

Reducing the Effects of Stress on Farmed


Fish
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Fish farming techniques are designed to enable animals to fulfill their maximum growth
and development potential. To this end, it is necessary to provide them with optimal
living conditions. Because it can strongly impair fish performance, stress is a major risk
to consider in aquaculture. It is important to measure stress impact in order to better
anticipate its consequences. What is the impact of stress on fish? How can the resulting
risks be controlled at the farm level?

A stressed animal is more vulnerable to pathogens


Stress is a normal reaction of the organism to a perceived or potential danger, in which the
bodily processes prepare for fight or flight. Throughout their lives, farmed fish usually
undergo various stressful episodes.
These episodes may be of two types:

Acute: the most common sporadic factors of stress in aquaculture are transport,
manipulation (sorting, vaccinations, partial fishing ...), and sudden changes in
water quality (water safety, oxygenation, composition);
Chronic: these can be triggered by the continuing presence of a xenobiotic in water,
overcrowded ponds, a non-homogeneous population, uneven feed distribution,
inadequate oxygenation, or the presence of predatory birds perched on cages or on
the shores of farming units.
Stress is likely to disrupt the delicate balance between the animals defense abilities, the
quality of farming conditions and the pressure exerted by potential pathogens on the
environment. The disturbance of this precarious order favors the irruption of diseases and
dysfunctions.
Stress impact

It has been proved that a healthy animal will more efficiently face a stressful event (see
diagram) than a weak animal. Several experiments have also highlighted the negative effects
of stress on an animal's ability to fight against pathogens in its environment.

Animals tolerance of stress depends on the nature and intensity of the reaction aroused. This
impact varies depending on the nature of the stress, the animals species and strain as well as
its experiences and health condition.

What are the stress parameters in fish farming?


In order to become a tool, stress should be measurable. It is necessary to measure the stress
response in order to anticipate its consequences. The occurrence of stress will cause various
types of response:

Hormonal: cortisol, catecholamines...;


Metabolic: increase in oxygen consumption, changes in the bloods salt
concentration;
Behavioral: grouping of fish, increased swimming speed.

It is more or less easy to quantify these indicators. Once the extent of stress is assessed, its
effects can be categorized by analyzing the level of the response triggered:
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ferent levels of response to stress in fish and their impact on the animal's condition

The TECHNA Group experts can assist fish farmers in their continuous improvement
of fish comfort, performance and fish ability to cope with stress. For more information,
please contact our experts!

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