Trace Mineral Nutrition in Salmonids
In salmonid diets, trace minerals are essential nutrients – like vitamins – that need to be supplied in the right amounts through the right mineral sources. Even a marginal deficiency of trace minerals can impact fish welfare and performance by compromising skeletal development, collagen and mucus synthesis, immune functions, the regulation of genes and enzyme activities. The bioavailability of trace minerals is affected by their sources, the presence of phytates from ingredients of plant origin and other nutrient interactions. In salmonids, bioavailability is particularly affected by mineral ions from water (freshwater vs. saltwater) and the shift in the osmoregulatory strategy of these species through the smoltification process. The loss of excess and unutilised trace minerals into the environment is undesirable from both a sustainability and a financial standpoint.