Skretting partners Zooca to launch Ignis for marine juveniles

NORWAY – Skretting, a global leader in aquaculture feed production, and Zooca, a Norwegian biotechnology company, have introduced a breakthrough product for marine juveniles. 

The new product, trading under the brand name Ignis, is Calanus finmarchicus, a tiny marine copepod rich in essential nutrients that Skretting is calling nature’s baby food for marine juveniles. 

With an annual production of around 290 million tons in the Norwegian Sea, this natural resource offers high-quality nutrition for marine juveniles, promoting efficient feed intake and digestion.

The ready-to-use copepods provide a new level of convenience and offer opportunities to enhance larval production and shrimp broodstock feeding. 

Unlike the commonly used Artemia, which is much smaller, these copepods measure 2-4 mm, making them suitable for transitioning hatchery stages. However, the aim is not to replace Artemia but to complement it. 

“It is a good feed for transition after hatchery, and in combination with dry feeds, it can help as a feed uptake enhancer,” explained Dr. Philippe Dhert, a senior researcher from Skretting.

Research presented by Dr. Dhert during the Larvi Conference revealed promising results for shrimp production. It showed that shrimp larvae fed with copepods had higher survival rates. 

“We observed that the shrimp larvae were immediately attracted to the copepods and that water turbidity was not impacted,” said Dhert. 

While the initial tests were conducted on shrimp post-larvae, the product also shows potential for application in fish hatcheries, especially when Artemia becomes too small for the juvenile fish.

Skretting and Zooca collaborated for several years to develop this product. Initially, the copepod protein was used in Skretting’s shrimp larval diet, Elevia. 

“It was a natural evolution for us to start looking at how we could use this copepod even more in aquaculture. It is a very abundant and alternative resource that is underutilized,” said Eamonn O’Brien, global product manager LifeStart at Skretting.

Zooca has refined its processing technology to ensure uniform-sized copepods, which are preserved without damage to maintain their high quality. 

“We are excited to introduce our new canned Calanus finmarchicus product together with Skretting. This product aligns with our vision of providing the industry access to sustainably harvested copepods,” said Abrahamsen from Zooca. 

He added that this launch strengthens their foundation for other innovative products such as Zooca® Hydrolysate and Zooca® AstaLipids.

O’Brien highlighted the significance of this partnership, which aligns with their mutual dedication to drive positive change in the aquaculture industry and underscores our shared vision for a more sustainable future. 

Ignis, the new copepod feed, will be available through Skretting’s network. It is currently being rolled out in European hatcheries and will soon expand to other regions.

In 2024, Skretting has launched several other products aimed at optimizing aquaculture performance. 

In April, the company introduced Armis, a functional feed designed to boost the resilience of shrimp in challenging conditions, which was first launched in India. 

Around the same time, Skretting launched Optiline Catfish, a grower feed targeting the African market, where catfish is a crucial source of protein. 

In May, the company unveiled AmiNova in Norway, a groundbreaking feed formulation concept designed to deliver precise nutrition while reducing environmental impact.

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