Dietary Supplements and Biological Performance in Abalone: A Systematic Evidence Map

Abstract

Abalone in the genus Haliotis are economically important for aquaculture. Abalone naturally graze on macroalgae; however, they are increasingly fed formulated pellets that lack essential nutrients in aquaculture. Dietary supplements may increase abalone growth performance, immunity, survival, and market traits. Despite these advantages, there has been limited industry uptake, which can be influenced by a lack of formal evidence synthesis on the topic. Here, we provide the first systematic evidence map summarizing global research on the effects of dietary supplements on biological performance in abalone, based on 143 studies meeting inclusion criteria. China‐affiliated researchers authored most articles while Australia and New Zealand had disproportionately high, and South Korea disproportionately low contribution relative to production, which may have been influenced by indexing and linguistic restrictions. Algal and/or diatom meals were the most tested dietary supplements (19.6%), with most efforts focused on Ulva spp. supplementation. Vitamins were also intensively researched (18.2%), with emphasis on those that are water soluble. Growth performance and survival were the most frequently assessed outcomes (72.0% and 58.0% respectively). Consumer‐focused traits, such as sensory attributes and abalone colour, were measured by less than 10% of articles, suggesting a bias toward production‐centric outcomes. No studies provided raw data, source code, or pre‐registered protocols, and future abalone research should adopt best practices for data credibility. Our map provides direction for future empirical studies and meta‐analyses by highlighting research trends, gaps, and evidence clusters, which will assist in greater translation of research on dietary supplements to the abalone industry.