What farmed fish are fed naturally corresponds with their health, robustness, and end quality. Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) has numerous benefits which are scientifically well-documented.
Krill inside = eating more
Diets containing krill is shown to be highly palatable, increasing the appetite and feed intake for fish. This means that they grow faster and reach their harvest weight earlier. Moreover, fish eating krill are less exposed to diseases.
Read more: 5 reasons why krill is such a popular ingredient in fish feed
The goal is to improve fish health
Including krill meal in fish feed shows promise to improve the overall health of farmed fish. A good balance between omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids is crucial, seeing that they have different but important functions.
Omega-6 fatty acids stimulates cells to react and fight when needed. This is crucial to handle inflammation and sickness. Omega-3s, on the other hand, is needed to stabilize the fish when disease has been tackled.
Feeds rich in krill have high levels of long chain omega-3 fatty acids, which boost the immune system in fish. This helps fish to handle stressful periods, such as changes to seawater temperature and treatments. A strong immune system is the basis of good health and reduced mortality.
Furthermore, krill is rich in astaxanthin, a natural antioxidant that protects tissues and cells in addition to giving salmonids their natural pink flesh color.
Better fillet quality
Fat content, fat distribution and fillet quality may be influenced by feed composition. Due to its inherent advantages – i.e., feeding stimulants, n-3 fatty acids bound to phospholipids, highly digestible peptides – krill improves fillet quality, both in terms of yield and texture. Different studies have shown an improvement in gaping and fillet firmness and a decrease of melanin spots in salmon.
Want to learn more? Download our whitepaper below to read the study on basic mechanisms behind known krill effects for salmon.
Fundamental Salmon Study
