Study points to squid-liver powder alternatives in shrimp feed: full analysis

A new shrimp nutrition study suggests feed formulators may be able to reduce reliance on squid-liver powder by using marine protein hydrolysates without undermining growth or health outcomes in Pacific white shrimp. The work, attributed to Dachawat Poonnual, Siriporn Tola, and Bundit Yuangsoi and linked to Animals (MDPI), focuses on Litopenaeus vannamei, the species that anchors much of global shrimp aquaculture. In the available preprint record, tuna hydrolysate concentrate appeared to perform best among the tested alternatives. (papers.ssrn.com)

That question matters because Pacific white shrimp production has expanded into a highly cost-sensitive, efficiency-driven business, where feed is a major operating expense and ingredient flexibility is increasingly valuable. FAO describes P. vannamei as a globally important farmed shrimp species and notes long-running industry pressure around traceability, food safety, sustainability, and cost competitiveness. In that environment, feed ingredients that can preserve palatability and digestive performance while improving sourcing flexibility tend to draw outsized attention. (fao.org)

According to the source abstract and the SSRN preprint version of the paper, the researchers ran an eight-week feeding trial comparing a control diet containing squid-liver powder with four test diets that used tuna hydrolysate, shrimp hydrolysate, fish hydrolysate, or salmon silage as partial replacements, while adjusting soybean meal to keep protein balance aligned. The preprint says shrimp fed the tuna hydrolysate diet posted significantly higher final body weight, body weight gain, and specific growth rate than shrimp on the other diets. It also reports improved feed intake, higher trypsin activity, and better nutrient digestibility in that group, suggesting the ingredient may have acted as both a palatability enhancer and a functional protein source. (papers.ssrn.com)

The broader literature supports the plausibility of that result, even if product-specific performance still varies. Recent and prior shrimp feeding studies have found that some hydrolysates can partially replace fishmeal or other marine ingredients while maintaining growth, digestive enzyme activity, and health markers, though not every hydrolysate performs the same way in every system. That aligns with industry commentary from IFFO, which notes that hydrolysates are increasingly used in aquafeeds as strategic ingredients, particularly to address palatability issues that can emerge as formulations rely more heavily on plant proteins. (mdpi.com)

Industry perspective also points to why this line of research is getting more attention. IFFO describes hydrolysates as a growing category made from both wild-caught and by-product marine resources, with roles in feed intake management and, in some cases, immunological support. It also argues that ingredient sustainability should be assessed holistically, rather than assuming any reduction in marine inputs is automatically an environmental gain. That’s relevant here because squid-liver powder replacement is not just a cost or supply story; it’s also about whether alternative marine co-products can deliver equivalent function with acceptable sourcing and lifecycle tradeoffs. (iffo.com)

Why it matters: For veterinarians, nutritionists, and aquatic animal health teams, the practical takeaway is that ingredient class may matter less than ingredient function. In shrimp systems, reduced feed intake or weaker digestibility can quickly show up as slower growth, poorer uniformity, and greater vulnerability under stress. If certain hydrolysates improve palatability and digestive enzyme activity while preserving health status, they could give feed manufacturers another lever when squid-derived inputs are volatile in price or availability. But the details matter: source species, processing method, inclusion level, and farm conditions can all change the outcome, so this is better read as a formulation signal than a one-size-fits-all recommendation. (papers.ssrn.com)

There are still limits to what can be concluded from the currently accessible material. The source abstract is truncated, and no separate company announcement or outside expert quote tied directly to this paper was readily available in the search results. Even so, the direction of travel is clear: aquafeed developers are looking for more precise, functional uses of marine co-products, and shrimp hydrolysate research is moving beyond crude replacement questions toward digestibility, health status, and ingredient specialization. (papers.ssrn.com)

What to watch: The next step is the final published Animals article and any follow-on commercial validation, especially trials that compare economics, survival, histopathology, immune markers, and performance under farm stress or pathogen challenge. If the peer-reviewed paper confirms the preprint pattern, tuna-derived hydrolysates may draw the most immediate interest from shrimp feed formulators, but adoption will likely hinge on cost, supply consistency, and whether results hold outside controlled trial settings. (papers.ssrn.com)