Hematological changes in Florida pompano (Trachinotus carolinus) supplemented with β-glucan and Pediococcus acidilactici synbiotic

Florida pompano (Trachinotus carolinus) are a species of growing interest for commercial
aquaculture. Effective health monitoring is crucial to the successful growout of
the species, and prophylactic and therapeutic use of chemicals and antibiotics has
been the traditional strategy for promoting stock health. However, concerns about
antimicrobial resistance, chemical residues in seafood products and the environment,
and resultant immunosuppression have prompted the industry to identify alternative
management strategies, including supplementation with prebiotics, probiotics, and
combinations of both (synbiotics). The objectives of this study are to determine and
compare hematological, plasma biochemical, and plasma protein electrophoresis data
of synbiotic-supplemented (β-glucan and Pediococcus acidilactici) and nonsupplemented
Florida pompano. Reference intervals for blood analytes are provided
for both groups and for subgroups (females, males, large, and small fish) where statistically
significant results exist. There are no differences between the hematological
and plasma biochemistry analytes between the supplemented and control groups,
except for blood urea nitrogen and carbon dioxide, indicating a possible effect of synbiotic
supplementation on gill function and osmoregulation. Sex-related and sizerelated
differences are observed within each of the control and supplemented
groups; however, biometric measurements do not strongly correlate with blood analytes.
These data represent baseline hematological and plasma biochemical data in
the Florida pompano and indicate the safety of synbiotic supplementation in this
commercially important species. This study serves to further the commercialization
of Florida pompano by providing blood analyte reference intervals for health monitoring
in the aquaculture setting.