Examination of post-hatching starvation on oxidative stress response and larval life span in the marine ornamental shrimp, Lysmata seticaudata

Decapod crustacean larvae typically rely on external food sources for their nutrition, growth, and survival. However, in environments with pronounced seasonality in food availability, early larvae of some species can progress to subsequent larval stages without external feeding, a strategy known as facultative primary lecithotrophy. To save costs associated with the use of live feeds, several producers of marine ornamental shrimp, such as those of genus Lysmata, deprive larvae of food during their first zoeal stage. While this common practice may not directly affect larval survival, it can increase oxidative stress responses in starved larvae and negatively impact future performance, namely at metamorphosis. Such effects, however, are still little explored in species of aquaculture interest. Here, we experimentally assessed the effects of different feeding regimes on newly hatched larvae of the shrimp Lysmata seticaudata using a range of biomarkers of oxidative stress and antioxidant response. We showed that starving newly hatched larvae promoted short-term stress responses at the subsequent larval stage by increasing the activity of oxidative stress enzymes and the total antioxidant capacity of larvae. Such a brief starvation period at the beginning of larval development had significant long-term effects, delaying the time of metamorphosis to post-larvae and resulting in the metamorphosis of larger shrimp. Depriving newly hatched larvae of food, a common practice in aquaculture, is inadvisable as it disrupts the balance between energy used for combating oxidative stress and promote morphogenesis and growth, which may affect post-larval condition by prolonging the duration of the last zoeal stage.