The Pacific whiteleg shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone, 1931) is a natural inhabitant of tropical marine waters along the Eastern Pacific coast, from the Gulf of California (Mexico) to Tumber (North of Peru), where the year-round water temperature normally exceeds 20°C (refs 1, 2). Presently, it is the most widely cultured shrimp species all over the world. Its farmed area is expanding mainly due to the availability of specific pathogen-free (SPF) seeds in the international market and its phenomenal success in farming systems due to the ability to tolerate wide salinity ranges (0-45 ppt), fast growth rate, low dietary protein requirement (30-35%), column feeding habit and amenability for crowding and very high stocking densities3,4.
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