A commercial mineral blend is associated with lower gill lesion severity in Pacific white shrimp ( Litopenaeus vannamei ) reared under low-salinity conditions

Low-salinity culture can disrupt ionic balance and damage the gills of Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei), but evidence on water-applied commercial mineral blends remains limited. This study evaluated gill lesion severity and survival in juvenile shrimp (~1.0 g) reared at 2–5 ppt for 35 days using applied commercial-blend concentrations of 0, 5, 10, or 15 mg/L (not measured dissolved-ion concentrations) and four replicate aquaria per treatment. Gill edema, hyperplasia, vacuolization, lamellar fusion, and necrosis were assessed semi-quantitatively. At day 35, shrimp receiving 10 mg/L had lower lesion scores than unsupplemented shrimp. Mean survival was numerically higher at 10 mg/L than at 0 mg/L, but treatment differences were not significant (p = .086), and statistical power for survival was limited. Under the low-salinity and variable water-quality conditions, 10 mg/L was associated with lower gill lesion severity; however, elevated nitrite and water-quality fluctuations preclude causal attribution solely to the mineral blend.