Effect of periodic light color change on the molting frequency and growth of Litopenaeus vannamei

Six color treatments Yellow light (Y), Green light (G), Blue light (B), Blue light to Yellow light (BY), Blue light to Green light (BG), Green to Yellow light (GY) were tested to determine if light color change can promote the growth of Litopenaeus vannamai. After a 45-day experiment, shrimp in BG treatment showed the best weight gain (WG) and the specific growth rate (SGRd), which might have been caused by high food conversion efficiency (FCEd), lowest energy allocation for respiration and highest energy allocation for growth. The molting frequency in GY treatment was the highest, but the growth was not the best. These results suggest that the periodic fluctuation from blue region of the spectrum to green region of the spectrum could promote the growth of L. vannamei and this periodic light color fluctuation may be used as a pattern of regulation of light color in the commercial shrimp culture.

► Growth of Litopenaeus vannamei in six light color treatments was tested.
► Suitable periodic fluctuation of light color could promote the growth.
► High FId and FCEd were one reason for the better growth.
► Higher energy allocation for growth was another reason for the better growth.
► Periodic light fluctuation was more suitable to the industrialized shrimp culture.