Nutrition quality significantly affects gilthead seabream welfare through impacts on growth, immune function, and skeletal development.
Gilthead seabream welfare is directly affected by diet quality. Diets with inadequate protein quality cause muscle weakness and impaired growth. Vitamin and mineral imbalances lead to skeletal deformities that cause chronic pain and abnormal swimming. Omega-3 deficiency reduces immune function, predisposing to diseases that cause welfare harm. The extensive replacement of fishmeal with plant proteins has required careful supplementation to maintain nutritional welfare. High-quality balanced diets that meet seabream nutritional requirements at all life stages represent a welfare investment that also improves production efficiency.