Mineral deficiency

Mineral elements are important in many aspects of shrimp metabolism. They provide strength and rigidity to the exoskeleton of crustacea. In body fluids they are involved mainly with the maintenance of osmotic equilibrium with the aquatic environment and in the nervous and endocrine systems. They are components of enzymes, blood pigments and other organic compounds. They are essentially involved in the metabolic processes concerned with energy transport. At the present time 26 of the 90 naturally occurring elements are known to be essential for animal life.

Diets deficient in a specific mineral can cause deficiency symptoms in shrimp. Deficiencies are more likely to occur in highly stocked ponds. Moreover crustacea can absorb minerals by other routes than from the digestion of food - through the ingestion of seawater and through exchange from their aquatic environment across body tissues such as skin and the gill membranes. Minerals are therefore probably as important as a component of the diet as well as in pond waters.