Dietary Phospholipids and Their Impact on Crustacean Physiology: Growth, Metabolism, Immunity, and Beyond

Phospholipids (PL) are widely used as aquafeed to enhance aquaculture production, particularly in crustaceans. The most common source of PL for aquaculture is lecithin, which is derived from both animals (e.g., eggs) and plants (e.g., soybeans). Including optimal levels of PL in crustacean diets enhances growth performance, survivability, antioxidant capacity, and lipid metabolism. PL is especially critical for early juveniles, as it supports osmoregulation by elevating Na+/K+-ATPase (NKA) activity. Furthermore, PL-enriched diets trigger energy metabolism, enhancing their physiological performance. In reproduction, PL provides energy for lipids mobilization and steroid transformation, improving the process of vitellogenesis in females. However, excessive PL can negatively affect the survival rate (SR), molting frequency (MF), condition factor (CF), and hepatosomatic index (HSI). This comprehensive review explores recent findings on how PL-enriched diets affect crustacean growth, metabolism, immunity, reproduction, gut microbiota, and osmoregulation. It also addresses gaps in our understanding of specific PL dietary needs for optimal crustacean health and productivity, offering evidence-based guidelines for effective PL supplementation in aquaculture.