While great advances have been made in the nutrition of fish and shrimp in recent years, increasing nutritional and production challenges require micronutrient nutrition to be reviewed and adjusted accordingly . Producing nutritionally balanced diets for fish and shrimp require essential trace minerals to be supplemented, especially in diets replacing marine with plant protein ingredients that are limiting in concentration and availability of several trace minerals. Trace minerals such as Zn, Mn, Cu, Fe , Se and Cr are key elements for activation and function of hormones and hundreds of enzymes, which in turn impact development and function of bone, nervous and reproductive systems, and production and maintenance of epithelial tissue (i.e. skin, gill, fin, scale and gastrointestinal integrity ). Optimal trace mineral nutrition is very important in helping fight stress and disease, namely through modulation of immune response. In fish, metal-amino acid complexes have proven to be more efficient than inorganic minerals in reducing skin lesions of Atlantic salmon, after infestation with Caligus, and increasing antioxidant capacity (i.e. GPx) and barrier defenses (i.e. goblet cells in skin and intestine ) in European seabass. As part of the mucosal immune system, goblet cells play an important role in protecting fish against pathogens, especially in aquatic animals, as they are in close contact with the environment. The latter results are expected to translate into better response of fish to disease, and thus result in healthier fish, especially when grown under commercial farm conditions . Also, in channel catfish, diets with metal amino acid complexes vs. inorganic minerals were observed to go beyond growth performance, with Zn-Met being 3 to 6 times more effective than ZnSO4 in protecting channel catfish against Edwardsiella ictalurid . Supplementation with zinc amino acid complex improved growth and FCR of Asian sea bass at 50 ppm complexed Zn (90 ppm dietary Zn), improved growth and immune response of Pangasius catfish at 50 ppm complexed Zn (87 ppm dietary Zn), and improved growth and FCR in Atlantic salmon at 60 ppm complexed Zn (123 ppm dietary Zn). Performance results indicate metal-amino acid complexes are a more effective source of trace minerals than inorganic sources in fish. In fact, Zn-Met was shown to be 3 to 5 times more bioavailable than inorganic Zn in meeting growth requirements in purified and practical diets containing phytic acid. Similar growth and immune responses were observed i n whiteleg shrimp, w hen metal amino acid complexes were supplemented at one- half the level of a mixture of Zn, Mn, Cu, Fe and Se from inorganic sources . Supplementation of shrimp with astaxanthin and xanthophyll, in combination with iron amino acid complex and zinc-L-selenomethionine, not only improved immunity, but also enhanced cooked shrimp color, according to consumer acceptance scores . A better understanding of the role and essentiality of trace minerals for growth and health of aquatic species is recognized as key to helping meet the needs of challenging production conditions (i.e., high stocking density, disease outbreak, and resistance to antibiotics and other medicinal treatments). Dietary optimization, under commercial conditions, is imperative to continuous sustainable and efficient production of nutritious and healthy farmed aquatic animals.