Recent Advances in Fish Nutrition

Dear Colleagues,

The aquaculture sector has expanded with the growth of the world's population. The demand for sea food had also increased while the supply from wild stocks is limited. The aquafeed sector was developed with the expanding aquaculture sector. However, scarcity of resources for feed ingredients limited the development of the aquaculture sector. Researchers managed to reduce the use of limited sources by introducing alternative ingredients. They identified nutrient requirements and physiological characteristics of different species and formulated feed to match the requirements targeting sustainable use of aquatic resources.

The utilization of alternative protein and lipid sources in fish feed to improve growth performance, immunity, and digestive performance was the main focus in fish nutrition during the last few decades. Formulation of precise feed for targeted species and their growth stages, considering nutrient requirements, is the most recent advancement in fish nutrition to reduce environmental impact and improve productivity while using alternative ingredients and functional feed additives. Moreover, the diversification of aquaculture through the introduction of new species has also created additional challenges and opportunities in fish nutrition research, requiring comprehensive understanding of species-specific nutritional requirements and physiological characteristics. There remains a significant knowledge gap in understanding the physiological mechanisms underlying nutritional interventions, particularly the metabolic responses of fish to dietary modifications. While substantial progress has been made in identifying nutrient requirements and formulating feeds for conventional species, limited research exists on the nutritional physiology of newly introduced aquaculture species.

Recent advances in precise feed formulation represent a paradigm shift toward species-specific and growth stage-specific feeding strategies. Yet, the mechanistic understanding of how alternative ingredients and functional feed additives influence enzyme activity, nutrient absorption efficiency, and metabolic pathway regulation remains incomplete. This is particularly critical for emerging aquaculture species where baseline nutritional physiology data is often lacking.

This Special Issue aims to advance the field of fish nutrition by bridging the gap between applied nutrition research and fundamental physiological understanding. We seek to compile cutting-edge research that elucidates the physiological and metabolic responses to nutritional interventions across both established and newly introduced aquaculture species. The scope encompasses species-specific nutrition research for both conventional and emerging aquaculture species, nutritional physiology studies examining metabolic responses to dietary modifications, alternative ingredient evaluation with emphasis on physiological mechanisms of action, advanced growth enhancement techniques supported by physiological understanding, and precision nutrition approaches integrating physiological data with practical feed formulation.

We particularly welcome original research articles and comprehensive reviews focusing on alternative protein sources, alternative lipid sources, feed additives, vitamins, amino acids, and fatty acids. Studies should emphasize the physiological aspects of nutrient utilization and metabolic adaptations, contributing to the mechanistic understanding of fish nutrition across diverse aquaculture systems. This Special Issue will provide a platform for researchers to share innovative approaches in fish nutritional physiology, ultimately supporting the development of more sustainable and efficient aquaculture practices.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Sang-Min Lee
Dr. Buddhi Gunathilaka
Dr. Pabodha Weththasinghe
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Fishes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• alternative protein sources
• alternative lipid sources
• feed additives
• vitamins
• amino acids
• fatty acids
• nutrient requirements
• functional feed additives
• nutrient absorption