Shrimps/Prawn gained 25% net weight with Phosphorus supplement. Study found.

IMPORTANCE OF SUPPLEMENTAL PHOSPHORUS IN SHRIMP FEED

A study published on Aquaculture International (2021), titled Performance and digestibility of inorganic phosphates in diets for juvenile shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei):

dicalcium phosphate, monocalcium phosphate, and monoammonium phosphate; has found MCP feed additive can increase juvenile weight of shrimp by 25%.

Why Highly Available Phosphorus is Critical for Shrimp Health, Growth and Profitability

Phosphorus (P) is one of the most essential nutrients in shrimp nutrition. It plays a critical role in energy transfer, growth, shell formation, molting, metabolism, survival and overall biological performance. Unlike some terrestrial animals, shrimp have a limited ability to digest and absorb phosphorus from many plant-based raw materials commonly used in modern aquaculture feed. As fishmeal inclusion continues to reduce globally, the need for highly digestible supplemental phosphorus sources becomes increasingly important.

Insufficient phosphorus intake can significantly reduce shrimp growth rate, feed efficiency and survival performance. Shrimp suffering from phosphorus deficiency commonly exhibit:

• Slow growth

• Poor feed conversion ratio (FCR)

• Weak shell formation

• Reduced molting success

• Lower mineral retention

• Reduced appetite and feed intake

• Poor larval survival

• Lower stress resistance

• Reduced harvest weight and uniformity

For hatcheries and larval producers, proper phosphorus nutrition is especially important during early-stage development where rapid cell growth and exoskeleton formation occur continuously. Improved phosphorus availability can increase larval strength, survival rate and post-larval quality. In grow-out farms, sufficient digestible phosphorus contributes directly to:

• Faster growth cycles

• Improved biomass gain

• Better FCR

• Lower mortality

• Reduced culture duration

• Higher harvest output per pond

• Improved farm profitability

In commercial shrimp feeds, supplemental phosphorus is typically supplied using inorganic phosphate feed additives. The three most common commercial phosphate sources are:

1. Dicalcium Phosphate (DCP)

DCP is traditionally one of the cheapest phosphate sources available. It contains calcium and phosphorus, however it is not water soluble and usually applied to feeds of animal with gastric acid such as swine and poultry. DCP phosphorus digestibility in shrimp is relatively poor because shrimp do not possess a highly acidic stomach system capable of efficiently dissolving DCP. Although the initial purchase price may be lower, the usable phosphorus available to the shrimp is often significantly reduced, making its effective phosphorus cost less attractive.

2. Monocalcium Phosphate (MCP)

MCP is a highly soluble phosphate source containing both digestible phosphorus and highly bioavailable calcium. Compared with DCP, MCP provides substantially improved phosphorus absorption and better compatibility with shrimp digestive physiology. The calcium supplied by MCP is also more soluble and biologically available than calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) or limestone. MCP provides an excellent calcium-to-phosphorus balance while maintaining good pellet stability and feed manufacturing characteristics.

3. Monoammonium Phosphate (MAP)

MAP contains highly digestible phosphorus together with ammonium nitrogen. While MAP can provide very high phosphorus digestibility, it does not contribute calcium and is considerably more acidic and hygroscopic. Additional calcium sources are therefore required separately in feed formulations. MAP also introduces ammonium nitrogen, which may not provide major nutritional value to shrimp because nitrogen can already be supplied more economically through proteins, amino acids and conventional nitrogen feed ingredients.

In a 2021 scientific study published in Aquaculture International [article is attached] evaluating DCP, MCP and MAP in juvenile white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei), researchers found that MCP and MAP significantly outperformed DCP in terms of:

• Growth rate

• Feed conversion ratio

• Phosphorus digestibility

• Mineral retention

• Shrimp body phosphorus content

The study showed that shrimp fed MCP and MAP diets achieved approximately 25–30% higher final body weight compared with shrimp fed DCP diets. MAP achieved the highest phosphorus digestibility, while DCP showed very poor phosphorus availability.

However, when considering full commercial practicality and feed manufacturing performance, MCP offers several important advantages over MAP.

Why MCP is Often the Better Commercial Choice

While MAP may achieve very high phosphorus digestibility under controlled laboratory conditions, MCP provides a superior balance of nutrition, formulation stability, cost-efficiency and commercial practicality.

Key advantages of MCP include:

• Supplies both highly digestible phosphorus and highly bioavailable calcium

• Better calcium-to-phosphorus balance

• No unnecessary ammonium nitrogen addition

• Nitrogen can be supplied more economically from protein meals and amino acids

• Better pellet stability and feed mill handling

• Lower hygroscopicity and reduced caking risk

• Less acidic than MAP

• Easier storage and transport

• Lower corrosion risk to equipment

• Better water quality management

• More established commercial acceptance in aquaculture feed

MCP therefore represents a highly balanced and commercially efficient phosphate source for modern shrimp feed production. It provides excellent phosphorus availability while simultaneously contributing valuable soluble calcium, improved feed manufacturing stability and superior formulation flexibility for shrimp hatcheries, larval producers and grow-out operations.

SUMMARY OF THE RESEARCH PUBLICATION

Aquaculture International (2021) published a study tittled Performance and digestibility of inorganic phosphates in diets for juvenile shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei):

dicalcium phosphate, monocalcium phosphate, and monoammonium phosphate. This has found MCP feed additive can increase juvenile weight of shrimp by 25%.

Here is a summary of the study. Please contact us for a copy of the published study.

This paper studied how different inorganic phosphate sources affect growth, feed efficiency, and phosphorus digestibility in juvenile white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). The researchers compared:

• Dicalcium phosphate (DCP)

• Monocalcium phosphate (MCP)

• Monoammonium phosphate (MAP)

against a low-phosphorus control diet.

Main Findings

1. MCP and MAP were far superior to DCP

Shrimp fed MCP and MAP grew much faster and converted feed more efficiently than shrimp fed DCP or the control diet.

Key results after 52 days:

Diet Final Weight Growth FCR

Control 16.3 g 1.43 g/week 2.28

DCP 16.0 g 1.40 g/week 2.24

MCP 20.7 g 2.01 g/week 1.66

MAP 21.3 g 2.10 g/week 1.59

This means:

• MCP and MAP improved growth by roughly 40–50%

• Feed efficiency improved dramatically

• DCP performed only slightly better than no phosphate supplementation

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2. MAP had the highest phosphorus digestibility

The paper found very large differences in phosphorus absorption:

Phosphate Source Phosphorus Digestibility

DCP Extremely poor

MCP Good

MAP Best

Digestible phosphorus in diets:

• DCP: 0.036%

• MCP: 0.299%

• MAP: 0.437%

The authors concluded that MAP gave the highest phosphorus bioavailability and lowest phosphorus loss into waste.

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3. DCP is poorly suited for shrimp

A major conclusion was that DCP is a poor phosphorus source for shrimp because shrimp do not digest it well.

The study explains this is likely because shrimp:

• Have no true acidic stomach

• Have rapid digestion transit time

• Need more soluble phosphate sources

This strongly favors highly soluble phosphates like MCP and MAP.

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4. MAP reduced phosphorus waste

MAP-fed shrimp produced lower phosphorus levels in feces compared with DCP and MCP.

This is important because:

• Less phosphorus discharge into ponds

• Better environmental performance

• Lower wasted feed nutrients

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5. MCP and MAP improved mineral retention in shrimp

Shrimp fed MCP and MAP had:

• Higher body phosphorus

• Better exoskeleton mineralization

• Better protein retention

• Better potassium and magnesium retention

This suggests stronger shell formation and improved overall health.

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6. Economic implications

The paper directly comments on economics:

• DCP is only slightly cheaper than MCP (5–10%)

• But DCP performs much worse

• MAP costs 30–40% more than MCP

• However MAP has substantially higher digestibility

The authors suggest:

• DCP has the worst value

• MCP is a very strong commercial option

• MAP may justify higher cost through better nutrient efficiency

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CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION:

q.h@austure.com