Review Article

Effects of Antarctic Krill Products on Feed Intake, Growth Performance, Fillet Quality, and Health in Salmonids

Table 1

Overview of studies showing effects of krill on salmonid performance.

StudyInitial weightDietsDurationMain krill effects

Julshamn, Malde, Bjorvatn, & Krogedal, [25]410 g Atlantic salmon0, 10, 20, and 30% KM84 daysHigh tolerance to dietary fluoride with 350 mg/kg diet KM

Ringø et al. [93]105 g Atlantic salmon58.9% FM
32% FM+32% KM
46 days↑ Aerobic and facultative aerobic bacteria colonizing the hindgut
Dietary KM affected the adherent hindgut microbiota

Moren et al. [106]412 g Atlantic salmon0, 28.1, 30.3, and 34.8%KM100 days↑ Specific growth rate
↑ Copper

Olsen et al. [26]500 g Atlantic salmon0% KM+60% FM
13.5% KM+48% FM
27% KM+36% FM
40% KM+24% FM
54% KM+12% FM
68% KM+0% FM
140 days↑ Growth performance
↑ Feed conversion rate

Yoshitomi, Aoki, Oshima, & Hata, [16]5.5 g rainbow trout0% KM
7% KM
15% KM
30% KM
92 days30% KM:
↓ Growth
↓ Feed intake
↓ Specific growth rate

Suontama, Kiessling, Melle, Waagbø, & Olsen, [27]412 g Atlantic salmonFM
Northern krill (15, 30, and 46%)
Antarctic krill (28%)
Amphipod (35%)
160 days↑ Specific growth rate

Yoshitomi, Aoki, Oshima, & Hata, [16]5.5 g rainbow trout0, 4.5, 8.9, and 17.9% KM92 daysKrill protein had a nutritional value equivalent to fish protein

Hansen et al. [24]550 g Atlantic salmonHigh-quality FM
Partially deshelled KM (75.2%)
Whole KM (68.9%)
100 daysWhole KM:
↓ Growth
↓ Trypsin activity in the pyloric and mid intestine
↓ Bile acid concentration in the pylorus

Hansen et al. [30]546 g Atlantic salmon0, 12.3, 25.7, 38.3, and 59.8% of partially deshelled KM100 days↑ Growth performance
↑ Lipid digestibility
↑ Fluoride in faeces
↓ Plasma cholesterol
↓ Body weight

Roncarati et al. [21]453 g rainbow troutControl
KM (60%)
60 days↑ Body weight and size
↓ Perivisceral fat
↓ Visceral weight indices
↑ Omega-3 fatty acids in fillet

Zhang et al. [10]61 g rainbow troutFM
Pea protein conc.
Potato protein conc.
Canola protein conc.
Soy protein conc.
All diets supplemented with 5% krill products (3.5% KM and 1.5% krill water solubles)
72 daysRainbow trout could utilize diets with >95% of the protein from plant protein conc. supplemented with essential amino acids, KM, and the water-soluble fraction of krill as feed attractant, without lowered feed intake or growth

Kousoulaki et al. [10]132 g Atlantic salmonMedium FM
Low FM
Low krill hydrolysate (1.9%)
High krill hydrolysate (3.8%)
Choline chloride
Free amino acid
42 days↑ Feed intake
↑ Growth performance
↑ Appetite-stimulating effects

De Santis, Taylor, Martinez-Rubio, Boltana, & Tocher, [44]Fry and parr Atlantic salmonKrill oil or soybean lecithin supplying phospholipid at 2.6, 3.2, 3.6, and 4.2% of dietUntil 10 g of weight↑ Growth performance
No steatosis in the intestine

Hatlen et al. [28]104 g and 5527 g Atlantic salmon0% KM+30% FM
10% KM+20% FM
0% KM+52% FM
7.5% KM+46% FM
15% KM+40% FM
42 and 91 days↑ Growth performance
↑ Feed intake
↓ Fat content

Kousoulaki et al. 2018130.3 g Atlantic salmonArg
Arg+Ala+Pro+Leu+Phe
Arg+Ala+Pro+Leu+Phe+nu
Arg+Ala+Pro+Leu+Phe+nu+rest FAA as in krill hydrolysate
83 days↑ Feed intake
↑ Growth performance
↓ Liver lipid levels
↑ Appetite-regulating neuropeptide

Wei et al. [15]102 g rainbow trout51% FM
KM (8.5, 17.1, 34.2, and57%)
56 days↑ Growth and performance
↑ Muscle pigmentation

Jalili et al. [108]Fry Atlantic salmon25% FM
17.6% FM+7.4% KM
26% FM+23% soya
26% FM+0.03 bactocell
26% FM+0.05% sodium butyrate
84 daysAltered gene expression profile of immune genes in head kidney

Mørkøre et al. [52]2.3 kg Atlantic salmon15% FM+12% FO
12% KM+5% FM+8% FO
84 days↑ Fillet yield
↓ Gaping
↑ Condition factor
↑ Pigmentation
↑ Firmness of the muscle
↑ Liver coloration score
↓ Fat deposition around the heart
↑ Improved gut health
↑ Compact collagen structure

Abbreviations: KM: krill meal; FM: fish meal; FO: fish oil; Arg: arginine; Ala: alanine; Pro: proline; Leu: leucine; Phe: phenylalanine; FAA: free amino acids; nu: nucleotides. KM inclusion levels are provided at % of diet.