P

 

 

  • Palatability: The "tastiness" of the feed, which influences the speed of consumption.

  • Parasite: An organism that lives on or in another organism (the host) and benefits by deriving nutrients at the host's expense.

  • Pathogen: A disease-causing agent (virus, bacterium, fungus, parasite).

  • Pathogenicity: The ability of a pathogen to cause disease.

  • PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction): A high-precision molecular technique used to diagnose diseases (detect pathogen DNA/RNA).

  • Pellet (Feed): A type of feed (usually for shrimp) produced by pressing, which sinks quickly.

  • pH (Potential of Hydrogen): A measure of the acidity (pH < 7) or alkalinity (pH > 7) of the water. It affects ammonia toxicity and animal metabolism.

  • Phosphorus (Phosphate): An essential nutrient for growth, but whose excess in effluent can cause eutrophication.

  • Photosynthesis: The process used by phytoplankton (algae) to convert sunlight, CO₂, and nutrients into organic matter and oxygen.

  • Phytoplankton: Microscopic algae that form the base of the aquatic food web and produce oxygen via photosynthesis.

  • Pisciculture: The farming of fish.

  • Plankton: The collection of microorganisms (Phytoplankton = algae; Zooplankton = small animals) that float in the water column.

  • Polyculture: The farming of two or more species in the same pond (e.g., tilapia and shrimp) to optimize the use of the environment and natural food.

  • Pond: A structure (earthen, lined, or elevated) where the culture takes place.

  • Pond Preparation: The set of actions (drying, disinfection, liming, fertilization) taken between cycles to prepare the pond.

  • Post-Larva (PL): The stage of shrimp after the larval (mysis) phase, when it is sold by the hatchery for stocking (e.g., PL 10 = 10 days old).

  • PPM (Parts Per Million): A unit of concentration, equivalent to mg/L.

  • PPT (Parts Per Thousand): A unit of salinity, equivalent to g/L or ‰.

  • Prebiotic: A non-digestible ingredient (e.g., fiber) that stimulates the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut.

  • Predator: An animal (bird, fish, insect) that feeds on the cultured animals.

  • Pricing: The act of setting the sale price for the product, based on costs, market, and added value.

  • Primary Productivity: The rate of biomass production by phytoplankton through photosynthesis.

  • Probiotic: Live microorganisms (beneficial bacteria) added to the water or feed to improve gut health and/or water quality (by competing with pathogens).

  • Prophylaxis: Preventive measures against disease (e.g., vaccination, probiotics, biosecurity).

  • Purging: The process of holding animals in clean water before harvest to eliminate "off-flavor" or residues.