The extracts from seaweeds, Ulva spp . and Solieria chordalis, were incorporated in the commercial shrimp feed at 3g/kg to feed for shrimp (Peneaus vannamei) from stocking to harvesting at the commercial ponds . There were six ponds with sizes from 4400 m2 to 5616 m 2 each including 3 ponds with seaweed extracts (treated pond) and three ponds without seaweed extracts (control pond). The stocking densities and the day of culture (DoC) were 155 and 157 postlarvae/m2 and 115 days and 112 days for treated pond and the control pond, respectively. For gene expression, the samples of hepatopancreas and hemolymph of 3 shrimps per pond were ta ken at 30 days of culture (DoC 30) and 60 days of culture (DoC 60) . These samples were analyzed for anti-lipopolysaccharide factor (ALF), crustin; penaeidin 3, prophenoloxidase, h eat shock proteins (HSP 70 and HSP 90 ). The muscle samples were determined for a lpha- actin and m yosin h eavy chain . The relevant primers were as references to measure the relative gene expression of those proteins. S urvival rate, yield, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were also determined.
The result showed that at DoC 60 the ALF of the treated pond was 158 % and 75% higher than that of the control pond in hepatopancreas and hemolymph, respectively. The crustin of shrimp at the treated pond were 100% higher at DoC 30 and 182% higher at DoC 60 than those of shrimp at the control group in hepatopancreas. In hemolymph, crustin values of the treated shrimp was 203% higher than that of the control shrimp. A t DoC 30, t he Penaeidin 3 values of the treated shrimp in hepatopancreas improved 108% higher than that of shrimp at the control pond. At DoC 60, the Penaeidin 3 in hemolymph of the treated shrimp was 225% higher than that of the control shrimp. Particularly, the prophenoloxidase of the treated shrimp were 340% and 1172% higher than those of the control shrimp at DoC 60. The values of HSP 70, HSP 90 , a lpha- actin and m yosin h eavy chain were higher in the treated shrimp compared to the control ones. The FCR was 1.4 at the treated pond but was 1.5 in the control pond. The survival rate of treated shrimp (90.6%) was 7.4% higher than that of the control ones (83.1%). The yield of the treated pond (33.3 ton/ha) was 2.8 ton/ha higher than that of the control pond (30.5 ton/ha).
Based on the immune related genes, the stress response genes , the muscle growth genes, the survival rate, the yield, and the feed conversion ratio, it concluded that the seaweed extracts could improve better health and better growth of white leg shrimp at the commercial ponds in this study.