Patent Abstract:
the use of macroalgal , microalgal , and fungally - derived materials provide , in combination with higher - plant derived materials , complete feeds for animal husbandry . the products and methods of the invention provide nutritional feed formulations , that reduce or eliminate the need for animal - derived materials . the feeds are useful for terrestrial or aquatic animals , and comprise docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid .

Detailed Description:
in describing the present invention , the following terminology is used in accordance with the definitions set out below . the term “ animal feed ” refers to a preparation providing nutritional value to any animal , including but not limited to terrestrial animals ( humans , cattle , horses , pigs , sheep , goats , poultry ) and aquatic animals ( fish , shrimp , lobsters , crawfish , mollusks , sponges , jellyfish ). the term “ fishhmeal ” is used to describe a crude preparation or hydrolysate from fish of any species or mixed species that is processed into a solid or semi - solid form for easy use . the term “ fish oil ” refers to any oil extracted from fish , in any form and purity . usually in feed terms , “ fish oil ” is used to describe a fairly crude preparation but can also encompass a highly purified form used as a human food supplement . the term “ animal meal ” is used to as a group descriptor to include fishmeal , meat meal , blood meal , beef extracts , and other animal - derived feed supplements . the term “ animal - derived ” is used to describe any product produced from animals . the term “ probiont ” refers to an organism that permanently or transiently grows or resides in the intestine of the target animal . the term “ macroalgae ” refers to algae that in at least one life stage form large structures that are easily discernable with the naked eye . usually these organisms have secondary vascularization and organs . examples of different groups containing macroalgae follow , but are not limited to , the chlorophyta , rhodophyta , and phaeophyta . “ macroalgae - derived ” materials are those that are obtained from macroalgae . the term “ microalgae ” refers to prokaryotic and eukaryotic algae that are classed in many different species . normally the prokaryotic algae are referred to as cyanobacteria or bluegreen algae . the eukaryotic microalgae come from many different genera , some of which overlap with the macroalgae and are differentiated from these by their size and a lack of defined organs ( although they do have specialized cell types ). examples of different groups containing microalgae follow , but are not limited to , chlorophyta , rhodophyta , phaeophyta , dinophyta , euglenophyta , cyanophyta , prochlorophyta , and cryptophyta . “ microalgae - derived ” materials are those that are obtained from microalgae . the term “ lower fungi ” refers to fungi that are typically grown in fermentors by providing appropriate carbon and nitrogen sources . examples of such lower fungi include , but are not limited to , yeasts ( e . g ., saccharomyces , phaffia , pichia , and etc . ), filamentous fungi ( mortierella , saprolegnia , pythium , and etc . ), and chytrids ( schizochiytrium , thraustochytriumn , ulkenia , and etc .) the terms “ feed additive ,” “ food supplement ,” or “ enrichment product ” refer to products having one or more nutritional substances in concentrated form ( mainly vitamins , minerals and trace elements ), usually presented in formats that are added to a complete diet or added separately as tablets , pellets , or beads to be consumed directly . feed additives , food supplements , or enrichments are not meant to fullfill the complete needs of the animal but provide some specific benefit . for the purposes herein the two terms will be used synonomously . the present invention is related to a composition of algal and / or fungal mixtures for use as an ingredient in complete non - animal based feeds . these feeds could also provide improved growth food conversion ratios , survival rate and health of terrestrial and aquatic animals since many macro - and microalgae and fungi have demonstrated bioactivities ( mason and gleason 1981 ; metting and pyne 1986 ; jones 1988 ; de rosa et al . 2001 ; kumvan et al . 2001 ; neves et al . 2001 ; oufdou et al . 2001 ; faullner 2002 ; gonzalez et al . 2002 ; hellio et al . 2002 ; minton et al . 2002 ; piccardi et al . 2002 ; prati et al 2002 ; seya et al . 2002 ; tan and siddiq 2002 ). these and other aspects of the invention are provided by one or more of the following embodiments . one embodiment of the invention is a feed or feed ingredient wherein all animal products are eliminated and the feed contains a macroalgal biomass , macroalgal cells , or macroalgal derivatives comprising materials from one or more macroalgal species selected from , but not limited to , the following organisms , laminaria , padina , pavonica , gracilaria , viva , and ascophyllum . another embodiment of the invention is a feed or feed ingredient wherein all animal products are eliminated and the feed contains a microalgal biomass , microalgal cells , or microalgal derivatives comprising materials from a one or more species selected from , but not limited to , the following organisms , crypthecodinium , tetraselmis , chlorella , haematococcus , nitzschia , chaetoceros , spirulina , and arthrospiria . another embodiment of the invention is a feed or feed ingredient wherein all animal products are eliminated and the feed contains a lower fungal biomass , lower fungal whole cells , or lower fungal derivatives comprising sources such as , but not limited to , saccharomyces , phaffia , pichia , mortierella , alteroinonas , pseuodoalteromonas , pythium , schizochytrium , thraustochytrium , ulkenia , and / or lc - pufa containing bacteria such as vibrio spp ., and shewanella spp . another embodiment of the invention is a feed or feed ingredient wherein the essential nutrients and oils normally provided by animal meal , fishmeal , and / or fish oil are replaced partially by macro - and / or microalgal biomass , macro - and / or mnicroalgal cells , or macro - and / or microalgal extracts plus additional supplementation with lower fungal sources such as , but not limited to , saccharomyces , phaffia , pichia , mortierella , alteromonas , pythium , schizochiytrium , thraustochytriumn , ulkenia , and / or lc - pufa - containing bacteria such as vibrio spp . and shewanella spp . in another embodiment of the invention , a method is provided for production of a feed or feed ingredient that will replace the use of animal meal , fishmeal , or fish oil in feeds used for terrestrial or aquatic organisms wherein algae are added to the product to provide the essential nutrients and oils required for optimal growth . in another embodiment of the invention , a method is provided for aquatic or terrestrial animal husbandry using a feed or feed ingredient wherein all animal products are eliminated and the feed contains microalgae , macroalgae , plants , and / or lower fungi such that the feed provides the essential nutrients and oils required for optimal growth . the following examples are provided for exemplification purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the instant invention . macroalgae , such as ulva spp ., gracilaria spp . and laminaria spp ., are cultured in an open earthen pond using industrial grade nutrients to provide nitrogen , potassium and phosphorus elements . algal thalli are harvested periodically , oven dried , then ground to a fine powder using standard methods . the thalli can also be ground wet to provide a fine slurry . heterotrophic growth of macroalgal biomass is also a possibility ( durand et al . 1997 ). photosynthetic microalgae , such as tetraselmis spp ., spirulina spp ., nannochloropsis spp ., navicula spp ., and chaetoceros spp ., are cultured in enclosed bioreactors using fecl 3 , nano 3 , and nah 2 po 4 enriched f / 2 medium ( guillard and ryther 1962 ; guillard 1975 ). algae are harvested at stationary phase then concentrated by centrifugation , filtration , or flocculation . algal pastes are dried ( drum dried , spray dried , or the like ) and ground into a fine powder . heterotrophic microalgae , such as crypthecodinium spp ., chlorella spp . haematococcus spp ., nitzschia spp . ; lower fungi , such as mortierella spp ., or lc - pufa containing bacteria such as shewanella putrefaciens or vibrio marinus are cultured in industrial fermentors using glucose as a source of energy and by following established culturing procedures ( boswell et al . 1992 ; behrens and kyle 1996 ). microalgae are then harvested and centrifuged to produce a thick paste , dried ( drum drying , spray drying , or the like ) and ground into a fine powder . all algal sourced powders are homogenized in a specific proportion ( dependant on animal species ) and kept for later formulation with other feed ingredients . sea bream feed is formulated with the ingredients listed below using standard formulation methods ( lim and sessa 1995 ). the feed is designed to include at least 45 % protein , 13 % lipids , and 0 . 5 % dha . algal - based ingredients are produced as described in example 1 . in addition to proteins and lipids , the specific algal mix also provides essential nutrients for enhancing the fish growth . for example , ulva sp . and laminaria sp . are rich sources of polysaccharides and glycoproteins , haematococcus sp ., and spirulina sp . are rich in carotenoids and antioxidants , while crypthecodinium sp . and mortierella sp . are rich in essential fatty acids ( such as docosahexaenoic ( dha ) and arachidonic acids ( ara )). the ingredient mix is then extruded to 3 - 10 mm pellet size using a standard pellet extruder . sea bream fingerlings at ca . 100 g size are stocked at 30 kg per m 3 of seawater at a temperature of 25 ° c . water quality is maintained by rapidly exchanging the tank water through mechanical and biofiltration systems . fish are fed 4 times daily a total ration of 2 % body weight and pellet size adjusted to fit the mouth opening of the growing fish . experiment is terminated when fish reach an average commercial size of 400 g . daily growth rates are calculated according to the following formula : growth rate =( final average fish weight minus initial average weight )/ n days . food conversion ratio ( fcr ) is calculated according to the following formula : fcr = total food given /( total fish final biomass minus total fish initial biomass ). shrimp feed is formulated with the ingredients listed below using standard methods ( lim and sessa 1995 ). the grow - out feed is designed to include at least 30 % protein , 6 % lipids , and 0 . 5 % dha and epa . algal - based ingredients are produced as described in example i with the addition of diatoms ( chaetoceros sp . and navicula sp .) for the required calcium and silica minerals in the shrimp diet . tetraselmis sp . is also provided in the algal mix because of it provides critical components for the shrimp , such as eicosapentaenoic acid ( epa ) and cholesterol . the ingredient mix is then extruded to 3 - 10 mm pellet size using a standard pellet extruder . shrimp fry at ca . 10 g size are stocked at 10 kg per m 3 of seawater at a temperature of 28 ° c . water quality is maintained by rapidly exchanging the tank water through mechanical and biofiltration systems . shrimp are fed 4 times daily a total ration of 2 % body weight and pellet size adjusted to fit the mouth opening of the growing shrimp . the experiment is terminated when shrimp reach an average commercial size of 40 g . daily growth rates and fcr are calculated as described in example 3 . broiler feed is formulated with the ingredients listed in table 3 using standard methods . this feed is designed to include at least 25 % protein , 16 % lipids and 0 . 5 % dha . algal - based ingredients are produced as described in example 1 . the ingredient mix is then pelleted to 0 . 5 - 3 mm pellet size using a standard pellet maker . broiler chickens at a size of ca . 100 g are housed in windowless sheds at a stocking density of 20 kg of bird weight per m 2 . temperature and ventilation are automatically controlled . broilers are fed 4 times daily a total ration of 4 % body weight and pellet size adjusted to fit the mouth opening of the growing chick . the experiment is terminated when broiler reaches an average commercial size of 2000 g . daily growth rate and fcr are calculated as described in example 3 . swine feed is formulated with the ingredients listed in table 4 and designed to include at least 20 % protein and 6 % lipid ( including 0 . 25 % dha ). weaned piglets , 4 weeks old are housed in groups of 4 in straw - bedded pens with ad libitum access to diet and water . upon reaching a commercial weight of 110 kg , pigs are weighed . daily growth rate and fcr are calculated as described in example 3 . shrimp feed is formulated to contain a vegetable protein source , a vegetable oil source , a vitamin and mineral premix , and a microalgal source of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids . such a composition is made using a mixture of 38 % soy protein concentrate and 51 % wheat meal as a protein source , 5 % soy oil , 1 % commercial mineral mix , 1 % commercial vitamin mix , 0 . 5 % alpha tocopherol , 0 . 5 % ascorbic acid , 0 . 5 % cholesterol , and 2 . 5 % crypthecodinium cohnii , as supplied by martek biosciences corporation ( columbia , md .). other microalgal sources such as , but not limited to schizochytrium sp ., ulkenia sp ., tetraselmis sp ., cyclotella sp . and etc ., can be substituted for the c . cohnii as long as the total epa and dha levels are in excess of about 0 . 5 %. the ingredient mixture above is then prepared for use as a feed by extrusion into pellets of consumable size for the animals ( typically 3 - 10 mm ) using a standard extruder , or flake - dried using a rotary drum dryer . this feed is then provided to the animals as described in example 5 . shrimp feed is formulated to contain a vegetable protein source , a vegetable oil source , a vitamin and mineral premix , and a macroalgal source of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids . such a composition is made using a mixture of 38 % soy protein concentrate and 44 % wheat meal as a protein source , 3 % flax oil , 2 % soy oil , 1 % commercial mineral mix , 1 % commercial vitamin mix , 0 . 5 % alpha tocopherol , 0 . 5 % ascorbic acid , and 10 % laminaria . other macroalgal sources such as , but not limited to gracillaria , ulva , brown seaweeds , red seaweeds , and etc ., can be substituted for the laminaria as long as the total omega - 3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid ( epa and dha ) levels are in excess of about 0 . 5 %. the ingredient mixture above is then prepared for use as a feed by extruding into pellets of consumable size for the animals ( typically 3 - 10 mm ) using a standard extruder or flake dried using rotary drum dryer . this feed is then provided to the animals as described in example 5 . shrimp feed is formulated to contain a vegetable protein source , a vegetable oil source , a vitamin and mineral premix , and a fungal source of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids . such a composition is made using a mixture of 38 % soy protein concentrate and 51 % wheat meal as a protein source , 3 % flax oil , 2 % soy oil , 1 % commercial mineral mix , 1 % commercial vitamin mix , 0 . 5 % alpha tocopherol , 0 . 5 % ascorbic acid , 0 . 5 % cholesterol , and 2 . 5 % mortierella alpina as supplied by martek biosciences corporation ( columbia , md .). other fungal sources such as , but not limited to pythium , saprolegnia , connidiobolus , schizochytrium , thraustochiytrium , and etc ., can be substituted for the m . alpina as long as the total long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid levels ( omega - 3 + omega - 6 ) are in excess of about 0 . 5 %. the ingredient mixture above is then prepared for use as a feed by extrusion into pellets of consumable size for the animals ( typically 3 - 10 mm ) using a standard extruder or flake - dried using rotary drum dryer . this feed is then provided to the animals as described in example 5 . shrimp feed is formulated to contain a vegetable protein source , a vegetable oil source , a vitamin and mineral premix , and a microalgal source of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and a fungal source of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids . such a composition is made using a mixture of 38 % soy protein concentrate and 47 % wheat meal as a protein source , 5 % soy oil , 1 % commercial mineral mix , 1 % commercial vitamin mix , 0 . 5 % alpha tocopherol , 0 . 5 % ascorbic acid , and 3 % crypthecodinium cohnii as supplied by martek biosciences corporation ( columbia , md .) and 4 % mortierella alpina as supplied by martek biosciences corporation ( columbia , md .). extracts of portions of the above algal and fungal sources can be substituted for the biomasses as long as the total epa and dha levels are in excess of about 0 . 5 % and the total ara levels are in excess of about 0 . 5 %. the ingredient mixture above is then prepared for use as a feed by extrusion into pellets of consumable size for the animals ( typically 3 - 10 mm ) using a standard extruder or flake - dried using rotary drum dryer . this feed is then provided to the animals as described in example 5 . shrimp feed is formulated to contain a vegetable protein source , a vegetable oil source , a vitamin and mineral premix , a microalgal source of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids , and a fungal source of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids . such a composition is made using a mixture of 38 % soy protein concentrate and 47 % wheat meal as a protein source , 5 % soy oil , 1 % commercial mineral mix , 1 % commercial vitamin mix , 0 . 5 % alpha tocopherol , 0 . 5 % ascorbic acid , 3 % crypthecodinium cohnii as supplied by martek biosciences corporation ( columbia , md . ), and 5 % laminaria . extracts of portions of the above algal and macroalgal sources can be substituted for the biomasses as long as the total epa and dha levels are in excess of about 0 . 5 % and the total ara levels are in excess of about 0 . 2 %. the ingredient mixture above is then prepared for use as a feed by extrusion into pellets of consumable size for the animals ( typically 3 - 10 mm ) using a standard extruder or flake - dried using a rotary drum dryer . this feed is then provided to the animals as described in example 5 . shrimp feed is formulated to contain a vegetable protein source , a vegetable oil source , a vitamin and mineral premix , a microalgal source of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids , and a fungal source of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids . such a composition is made using a mixture of 38 % soy protein concentrate and 42 % wheat meal as a protein source , 5 % soy oil , 1 % commercial mineral mix , 1 % commercial vitamin mix , 0 . 5 % alpha tocopherol , 0 . 5 % ascorbic acid , 3 % crypthecodinium cohnii as supplied by martek biosciences corporation ( columbia , md . ), 4 % mortierella alpina as supplied by martek biosciences corporation ( columbia , md . ), and 5 % gracillaria . extracts of portions of the above algal and fungal sources can be substituted for the biomasses as long as the total epa and dha levels are in excess of about 0 . 5 % and the total ara levels are in excess of about 0 . 5 %. the ingredient mixture above is then prepared for use as a feed by extrusion into pellets of consumable size for the animals ( typically 3 - 10 mm ) using a standard extruder or flake - dried using rotary drum dryer . this feed is then provided to the animals as described in example 5 . shrimp feed is formulated to contain a vegetable protein source , a vegetable oil source , a vitamin and mineral premix , and a microalgal source of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids . such a composition is made using a mixture of 38 % soy protein concentrate and 50 % pea meal as a protein source , 5 % soy oil , 1 % commercial mineral mix , 1 % commercial vitamin mix , 0 . 5 % alpha tocopherol , 0 . 5 % ascorbic acid , 0 . 5 % cholesterol , and 3 . 5 % crypthecodinium cohnii as supplied by martek biosciences corporation ( columbia , md .). other long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid sources such as , but not limited to schizochytrium sp ., ulkenia sp ., tetraselmis sp ., cyclotella sp . etc ., can be substituted for the c . cohnii while maintaining the total epa and dha levels in excess of about 0 . 5 %. the ingredient mixture above can then be prepared for use as a feed by extruding into pellets of consumable size for the animals ( typically 3 - 10 mm ) using a standard extruder or flake - dried using a rotary drum dryer . this feed is then provided to the animals as described in example 5 . shrimp feed is formulated to contain a vegetable protein source , a vegetable oil source , a vitamin and mineral premix , and a microalgal source of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids . such a composition is made using a mixture of 88 % soy protein concentrate , 5 % soy oil , 1 % commercial mineral mix , 1 % commercial vitamin mix , 0 . 5 % alpha tocopherol , 0 . 5 % ascorbic acid , 0 . 5 % cholesterol , and 3 . 5 % crypthecodinium cohnii as supplied by martek biosciences corporation ( columbia , md .). other long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid sources such as , but not limited to , schizochytrium sp ., ulkenia sp ., tetraselmis sp ., cyclotella sp ., and etc ., can be substituted for the c . cohnii , maintaining the total epa and dha levels in excess of about 0 . 5 %. the ingredient mixture above is then prepared for use as a feed by extruding into pellets of consumable size for the animals ( typically 3 - 10 mm ) using a standard extruder or flake dried using rotary drum dryer . this feed is then provided to the animals as described in example 5 . shrimp feed is formulated to contain a small amount of fishmeal , a vegetable protein source , a vegetable oil source , a vitamin and mineral premix , and a microalgal source of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids . such a composition is made using 4 % fishmeal , a mixture of 38 % soy protein concentrate , and 47 . 5 % wheat meal as a protein source , 5 % soy oil , 1 % commercial mineral mix , 1 % commercial vitamin mix , 0 . 5 % alpha tocopherol , 0 . 5 % ascorbic acid , 0 . 5 % cholesterol , and 2 . 5 % crypthecodinium cohnii , as supplied by martek biosciences corporation ( columbia , md .). other microalgal sources such as , but not limited to , schizochytrium sp ., ulkenia sp ., tetraselnis sp ., cyclotella sp ., and etc ., can be substituted for the c . cohnii , while maintaining the total epa and dha levels in excess of about 0 . 5 %. this ingredient mixture is then prepared for use as a feed by extrusion into pellets of consumable size for the animals ( typically 3 - 10 mm ) using a standard extruder or flake - dried using rotary drum dryer . this feed is then provided to the animals as described in example 5 . shrimp feed is formulated to contain a small amount of fishmeal , a vegetable protein source , a vegetable oil source , a vitamin and mineral premix , and a fungal source of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids . such a composition is made using 4 % fish oil , a mixture of 38 % soy protein concentrate , and 46 % wheat meal as a protein source , 3 % flax oil , 2 % soy oil , 1 % commercial mineral mix , 1 % commercial vitamin mix , 0 . 5 % alpha tocopherol , 0 . 5 % ascorbic acid , 0 . 5 % cholesterol , and 4 % mortierella alpina as supplied by martek biosciences corporation ( columbia , md .). other fungal sources such as , but not limited to , pythium , saprolegnia , connidiobolus , schizochytrium , thraustochytrium , and etc ., can be substituted for the m . alpina while maintaining the total long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid levels in excess of about 0 . 5 %. the ingredient mixture above is then prepared for use as a feed by extrusion into pellets of consumable size for the animals ( typically 3 - 10 mm ) using a standard extruder or flake - dried using a rotary drum dryer . this feed is then provided to the animals as described in example 5 . shrimp feed is formulated to contain a small amount of fishmeal , a vegetable protein source , a vegetable oil source , a vitamin and mineral premix , and a microalgal source of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids . such a composition is made using 4 % fish meal , a mixture of 38 % soy protein concentrate and 47 % pea meal as a protein source , 5 % soy oil , 1 % commercial mineral mix , 1 % commercial vitamin mix , 0 . 5 % alpha tocopherol , 0 . 5 % ascorbic acid , 0 . 5 % cholesterol , and 3 % crypthecodinium cohnii as supplied by martek biosciences corporation ( columbia , md .). other microalgal sources such as , but not limited to , schizochytrium sp ., ulkenia sp ., tetraselmis sp ., cyclotella sp . and etc ., can be substituted for the c . cohnii while maintaining the total epa and dha levels in excess of about 0 . 5 %. the ingredient mixture above is then prepared for use as a feed by extruding into pellets of consumable size for the animals ( typically 3 - 10 mm ) using a standard extruder or flake dried using rotary drum dryer . this feed is then provided to the animals as described in example 5 . shrimp feed is formulated to contain a vegetable protein source , a vegetable oil source , a vitamin and mineral premix , and a microalgal source of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids . such a composition is made using a mixture of 38 % soy protein concentrate and 43 . 5 % wheat meal as a protein source , 5 % soy oil , 1 % commercial mineral mix , 1 % commercial vitamin mix , 0 . 5 % alpha tocopherol , 0 . 5 % ascorbic acid , 0 . 5 % cholesterol , and 10 % crypthecodinium cohnii as supplied by martek biosciences corporation ( columbia , md .). other microalgal sources such as , but not limited to , schizochytrium sp ., ulkenia sp ., tetraselmis sp ., cyclotella sp ., and etc ., can be substituted for the c . cohnii while maintaining the total epa and dha levels in excess of about 0 . 5 %. the ingredient mixture above is then prepared for use as a feed by extruding into pellets of consumable size for the animals ( typically 3 - 10 mm ) using a standard extruder or flake dried using rotary drum dryer . this feed is then provided to the animals as described in example 5 . the dha content of the above feed is 2 % by weight and it is used as a broodstock diet or a finishing diet for shrimp . shrimp feed is formulated to contain a vegetable protein source , a vegetable oil source , a vitamin and mineral premix , and a microalgal source of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids . such a composition is made using a mixture of 38 % soy protein concentrate and 28 . 5 % wheat meal as a protein source , 5 % soy oil , 1 % commercial mineral mix , 1 % commercial vitamin mix , 0 . 5 % alpha tocopherol , 0 . 5 % ascorbic acid , 0 . 5 % cholesterol , and 25 % crypthecodinium cohnii as supplied by martek biosciences corporation ( columbia , md .). other microalgal sources such as , but not limited to , schizochytrium sp ., ulkenia sp ., tetraselmis sp ., cyclotella sp . and etc ., can be substituted for the c . cohnii , while maintaining the total epa and dha levels in excess of about 0 . 5 %. this ingredient mixture is then prepared for use as a feed by extruding into pellets of consumable size for the animals ( typically 3 - 10 mm ) using a standard extruder or flake - dried using rotary drum dryer . this feed is then provided to the animals as described in example 5 . the dha content of this feed is 5 % by weight and is used as a finishing diet for shrimp . sahnonid ( e . g ., salmon & amp ; trout ) feed is formulated to contain a vegetable protein source , a vegetable oil source , a vitamin and mineral premix , and a microalgal source of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and a fungal source of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids . such a composition is made using a mixture of 23 . 6 % pea protein concentrate , 10 % wheat , 5 % wheat gluten , and 25 % soy protein spf as protein sources , 25 % soy oil , 0 . 4 % commercial mineral mix , 0 . 2 % commercial vitamin mix , 0 . 5 % alpha tocopherol , 0 . 2 % ascorbic acid , amino acids ( 0 . 5 % lysine , 0 . 2 % methionine , 0 . 2 % threonine , and 0 . 2 % betaine ), and 9 % algal mixture ( 5 % ulva , 3 % crypthecodinium cohnii as supplied by martek biosciences corporation ( columbia , md .) and 4 % haematococcus as supplied by cyanotech corporation ( kona , hi .)). extracts of portions of the above algal sources can be substituted for the biomasses as long as the total epa and dha levels are in excess of about 0 . 5 % and the total ara levels are in excess of about 0 . 5 %. this ingredient mixture is then prepared for use as a feed by extrusion into pellets of consumable size for the fish ( typically 3 - 10 mm ) using a standard extruder or flake - dried using rotary drum dryer . this feed is then provided to the animals as described in example 3 for sea bream . a shrimp diet was prepared using poultry by - product meal , a vegetable protein source , a vegetable oil source , a vitamin and mineral premix , and a dha - containing microalgal biomeal . the poultry by - product meal comprised 40 % profound ® ( af protein inc ), the vegetable protein source comprised 30 % soy meal ; the vegetable oil comprised 1 . 5 % soy oil and 1 . 2 % flax oil ; and the dha - containing microalgal biomeal comprised 2 % solvent - extracted crypthecodinium cohnii ( martek biosciences corp , columbia , md .). other dha - containing biomeals such as , but not limited to , solvent - extracted chytrids such as schizochytrium sp ., thraustochytrium sp ., and ulkenia sp ., and solvent extracted diatoms such as tetraselmis sp . and cyclotella sp . biomeal can be supplemented in this composition at levels from 0 . 5 % to 50 % of the total weight of the feed . this ingredient mixture was then prepared for use as a feed by extrusion into pellets of consumable size for the animals ( typically 3 - 10 mm ) using a standard extruder . a rotary drum dryer is also suitable for this task . this feed was then provided to the animals as described in example 5 . a shrimp diet was prepared using poultry by - product meal , a vegetable protein source , a vegetable oil source , a vitamin and mineral premix , and a microbial source of dha and ara ( table 1 ). the poultry by - product meal comprised 40 % profound ® ( af protein inc ), the vegetable protein source comprised 30 % soy meal , the vegetable oil comprised 1 . 5 % soy oil and 1 . 2 % flax oil , the microbial dha source comprised 2 % schizochiytrium biomass ( martek biosciences corp , columbia , md . ), and the microbial ara source comprised 0 . 5 % aquagrow ® ara ( advanced bionutrition corp , columbia , md .). the ingredient mixture above was then prepared for use as a feed by extrusion into pellets of consumable size for the animals ( typically 1 - 10 mm ) using a standard extruder or flake dried using rotary drum dryer . this feed was provided to the animals on a daily basis and growth rate was measured over the course of 12 weeks . the data provided in table 6 indicates that there were little or no differences in the growth and final weight and survival of shrimp fed with the fish oil / fishmeal replacement diets relative to a standard diet containing 35 % fish meal and 5 % fish oil ( rangen control diet ). a shrimp diet is prepared using a mixture of vegetable protein sources , a vegetable oil source , a vitamin and mineral premix , and a microbial source of dha and ara ( table 3 ). the vegetable protein mixture comprises 58 % soy meal , 10 % pea meal , and 9 % corn gluten ; the vegetable oil comprises 1 . 5 % soy oil and 2 % flax oil ; the microbial dfia source comprises 0 . 5 % schizochytrium biomass ( martek biosciences corp , columbia , md . ); and the microbial ara source comprises 0 . 13 % aquagrow ara ( advanced bionutrition corp , columbia , md .). other microbial dha - containing material may include chytrids such as thraustochytrium sp ., and ulkenia sp ., and algae such as crypthecodinium sp ., tetraselmis sp . and cyclotella sp . the ingredient mixture above is then prepared for use as a feed by extruding into pellets of consumable size for the animals ( typically 1 - 10 mm ) using a standard extruder or flake - dried using rotary drum dryer . a shrimp diet was prepared using a mixture of vegetable protein sources , a vegetable oil source , a vitamin and mineral premix , and a microbial source of dha and ara as in example 25 , all of which have been certified as organic . the vegetable protein mixture comprised 58 % soy meal , 10 % pea meal , and 9 % corn gluten ; the vegetable oil comprised 1 . 5 % soy oil and 2 % flax oil ; the microbial dha source comprised 0 . 5 % schizochytrium biomass ( martek biosciences corp , columbia , md .) and the microbial ara source comprised 0 . 13 % aquagrow ara ( advanced bionutrition corp , columbia , md .). other microbial dha - containing material is also suitable , including , for example , chytrids such as thraustochytrium sp ., and ulkenia sp ., and algae such as crypthecodinium sp ., tetraselmis sp . and cyclotella sp . the ingredient mixture above was then prepared for use as a feed by extruding into pellets of consumable size for the animals ( typically 1 - 10 mm ) using a standard extruder . flake drying using a rotary drum dryer in a facility that has been certified as one capable of producing organic products is also suitable . the resulting feed is certifiable as “ organic ” under the usda definitions of an organic product . feeding of shrimp using organic farming practices and the organic feed described in this example allow the shrimp so produced to be labeled as “ organic shrimp ” . a fishmeal substitute comprising epa / dha - containing and ara - containing plant material for an animal diet as a replacement for fishmeal in an animal feed or feed additive , certain plant materials containing dha and ara can be used . examples of plant material ( not including algae ) containing epa / dha would include certain mosses ( e . g ., physcomitrella patens , rhytidiadelphus squarrosus , or ceratodon purpureus ) or genetically engineered plant species producing dha ( e . g ., as described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 677 , 145 , u . s . pat . no . 6 , 635 , 451 , or u . s . application no . 20030101486 ). examples of plant material ( not including algae ) containing ara would include certain mosses ( e . g ., physcomitrella patens ) or genetically engineered plant species producing ara ( e . g ., as described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 677 , 145 , u . s . pat . no . 6 , 635 , 451 ). a shrimp feed or feed additive is prepared using a mixture of vegetable protein sources , a vegetable oil source , a vitamin and mineral premix , and a plant source of dha and ara ( chosen from the examples above ). the vegetable protein mixture comprises 58 % soy meal , 10 % pea meal , and 9 % corn gluten ; the vegetable oil comprises 1 . 5 % soy oil and 2 % flax oil ; the plant dha source comprises 5 % physcomitrella lipid , and the plant ara source comprises 2 % modified brassica oil containing 30 % ara ( abbott labs ). the totally vegetarian ingredient mixture above is - then prepared for use as a feed or feed additive by extruding into pellets of consumable size for the animals ( typically 1 - 10 mm ) using a standard extruder or flake dried using rotary drum dryer using conventional manufacturing practices . this totally vegetarian feed is then provided to shrimp using a standard feeding regimen well known to those in the industry for the growth of shrimp . a salmon feed or feed additive is prepared using poultry by - product meal , a vegetable protein source , a vegetable oil source , a vitamin and mineral premix , and a plant source of dha and ara ( chosen from the examples above ). the poultry by - product meal comprises 40 % profound ® ( af protein inc ), the vegetable protein source comprises 30 % soy meal ; the vegetable oil comprises 1 . 5 % soy oil and 1 . 2 % flax oil ; the plant dha source comprises 2 % moss and the plant ara source comprises 30 % modified soy oil ( abbott labs ). the plant dha / poultry by - product - containing ingredient mixture above is then prepared for use as a salmon feed or feed additive by extruding into pellets of consumable size for the animals ( typically 1 - 10 mm ) using a standard extruder or flake dried using rotary drum dryer using conventional manufacturing practices . this feed or feed additive is then provided to salmon using a standard feeding regimen well known to those in the industry for the growth of salmon . the specification is most thoroughly understood in light of the following references , all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties . 1 . abe t , nakagawa a , higuchi h , yamanaka t ( 1998 ) process of feeding juvenile fish with astaxanthin - containing zooplankton . in . kyowa hakko kogyo co ., ltd . 2 . adey wh , purgason r ( 1998 ) animal feedstocks comprising harvested algal turf and a method of preparing and using the same . in : pat 02 - 10 - 98 05715774 ndn - 095 - 0259 - 5057 - 0 . aquatic bioenhancement systems , usa 3 . allen v , pond k ( 2002 ) seaweed supplement diet for enhancing immune response in mammals and poultry . in : u . s . pat . no . 6 , 338 , 856 b1 . texas tech univ ., usa . 4 . allen v , pond k , saker k , fonetont j ( 2002 ) seaweed supplement diet for enhancing immune response in mammals and poultry . in : u . s . pat . no . 6 , 342 , 242 b1 . texas tech univ . & amp ; virginia tech intellectual properties , inc . 5 . behrens p w , kyle d j ( 1996 ) microalgae as a source of fatty acids . j food lipids 3 : 259 - 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