Penaeid shrimps are euryhaline in nature and have the ability to survive and adapt in a wide range of salinities (3–50 ppt). The shrimps are cultured under a variety of conditions in many tropical and subtropical countries. Osmotic and ionic regulation is an important mechanism of environmental adaptation in crustaceans. However, drastic changes in abiotic and biotic conditions result in stress to the shrimps during the culture period. Salinity and temperature are the two major environmental factors that have huge impact on culture shrimp, affecting their physiological and metabolic parameters, which in turn affect shrimp growth, molting, and survival. Changes in the abiotic factors, chemical and biotic factors result in reduced immunity of shrimp and vulnerability to bacterial and viral diseases. This chapter describes the effects of low and high salinity on the gene profile changes of black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon, and the functional role of these genes in shrimp salinity stress is discussed.
Part of the book: Abiotic and Biotic Stress in Plants