BACKGROUND Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP) causes hepatopancreatic microsporidiosis (HPM) in shrimp. It is probably endemic in Australasia and was first characterized and named from the giant or black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon from Thailand in 2009. Later, it was also found to infect exotic Penaeus vannamei imported for cultivation in Asia. HPM is not normally associated with shrimp mortal...

Penaeidins are members of a new family of antimicrobial peptides isolated from a crustacean, which present both Gram-positive antibacterial and antifungal activities. We have studied the localization of synthesis and storage of penaeidins in the shrimp Penaeus vannamei. The distribution of penaeidin transcripts and peptides in various tissues reveals that penaeidins are constitutively synthesiz...

The waste generated from shrimp processing contains valuable materials such as protein, carotenoids, and chitin. The present study describes a process at pilot plant scale to recover chitin from the cephalothorax of Penaeus vannamei using mild conditions. The application of a sequential enzymatic-acid-alkaline treatment yields 30% chitin of comparable purity to commercial sources. Effluents fro...

Latent phenoloxidase activity of hemocyanin (Hc) in whiteleg shrimp Penaeus vannamei was assayed to determine its potential involvement in postmortem melanosis. Conversion of pure 12-mer, but not 6-mer, hemocyanin to phenoloxidase by endogenous (serine proteinases) and exogenous (SDS) effectors demonstrated the need of complex aggregation for displaying enzyme activity. Because Hc was converted...

This study evaluated the susceptibility of Penaeus vannamei, Kona stock-line, to infection by an isolate of Taura syndrome virus from Belize (TSV-BZ) under hyperthermic conditions (32 degrees C). Shrimp exposed to the reference Hawaii-94 isolate of TSV (TSV-HI) showed resistance to infection at 32 degrees C as demonstrated by the absence of mortality, histopathological lesions and decreased vir...

Disease has had a major impact on shrimp aquaculture since shrimp farming became a significant commercial entity in the 1970s. Diseases due to viruses, rickettsial-like bacteria, true bacteria, protozoa, and fungi have emerged as major diseases of farmed shrimp. Many of the diseases caused by bacteria, fungi and protozoans are now managed using improved culture practices, routine sanitation, an...

Microorganisms play integral roles in the cycling of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) for fish and shellfish production. We quantified the pathways of shrimp fecal bacterial activities and their role in C- and N-flux partitioning relevant to culturing Pacific white shrimp, Penaeus (Litopenaeus) vannamei, in RAS. Freshly produced feces from P. vannamei conta...

The uses of breeding programs for the Pacific white shrimp [Penaeus (Litopenaeus) vannamei] based on mixed linear models with pedigreed data are described. The application of these classic breeding methods yielded continuous progress of great value to increase the profitability of the shrimp industry in several countries. Recent advances in such areas as genomics in shrimp will allow for the de...

The objective of the present investigation was to determine the level of WSSV transmission from the infected tiger prawn Penaeus monodon to SPF Litopenaeus vannamei in laboratory captivity condition, in connection with to PCR detection and viral genome sequence. The nested PCR product band was ranged between 296 to 910 bp and was found during entire period from the experimental studies of SPF L...