Topics and Trends in Most Cited Aquaculture Nutrition and Growth Papers

Ranked by citations 18 months after publication

Class of 2026 (Papers Published in 2024)

What topics and trends defined most-cited Aquaculture Nutrition and Growth research in the Class of 2026?

The 2026 cohort in Aquaculture Nutrition and Growth highlights a strong focus on commercially vital species like Nile tilapia and Litopenaeus vannamei. Research is rapidly shifting toward immunological responses, stress indicators, and functional interventions such as probiotics and selenium nanoparticles, moving beyond generalized nutritional profiling.

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Updated July 15, 2026

At a glance

Field
Aquaculture Nutrition and Growth
Cohort label
Class of 2026 (2024 publications)
Papers analyzed
8,907
Papers ranked
20
Top topics in ranked papers
Nile tilapia, Litopenaeus vannamei, Feed conversion ratio, Malondialdehyde
Publication window
Jan 1, 2024 – Dec 31, 2024
Eligibility
Research articles; reviews excluded
Citation window
18 months post-publication
18m citation range
22–34
Data source
OpenAlex · Retrieved Jul 2026
License
CC BY 4.0

Rankings

20 papers ranked by 18-month citation count

#1 of 8,907
3418m citations

Effects of chronic cold stress and thermal stress on growth performance, hepatic apoptosis, oxidative stress, immune response and gut microbiota of juvenile hybrid sturgeon (Acipenser baerii ♀ × A. schrenkii ♂)

Tianyu Liu et al.Fish & Shellfish Immunology202410.1016/j.fsi.2024.110078

Ling Li, Haiyan Liu, Haiyan LiuHebei Normal University, China

Cold stressHeat stressgrowth performanceapoptosisoxidative stressImmune responsegut microbiotajuvenile hybrid sturgeonAcipenser baeriiAcipenser schrenkiiLiver histologyantioxidant enzymesPro-inflammatory cytokinesmicrobial community compositionfish physiologyStress indicators
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#6 of 8,907
2718m citations

Characterization of Selected Microalgae Species as Potential Sources of Nutrients and Antioxidants

Natália Čmiková et al.Foods202410.3390/foods13132160

Przemysław Łukasz Kowalczewski, Miroslava KačániováSlovak University of Agriculture, Slovakia

Nannochloropsis sp.Tetraselmis chuiiChaetoceros muelleriThalassiosira weissflogiiTisochrysis luteaessential amino acidsGlutamic acidsaturated fatty acidsmonounsaturated fatty acidspolyunsaturated fatty acidsPolyphenolsvitamin B contentABTS radical scavenging assayDPPH radical scavenging assayTrolox equivalentmineral contenttrace elementsniacinriboflavinAntioxidant capacity
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#8 of 8,907
2618m citations

Effects of saline and alkaline stresses on the survival, growth, and physiological responses in juvenile mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi)

Yan Li et al.Aquaculture202410.1016/j.aquaculture.2024.741143

Qifang LaiKey Laboratory of Inland Saline-alkaline Aquaculture, China

Siniperca chuatsimandarin fishSaline stressAlkalinity stressjuvenile fishsurvival rategrowth performancephysiological responsessalinity tolerancealkalinity toleranceosmoregulationStress tolerance
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#9 of 8,907
2618m citations

Effects of Temperature and Light on Microalgal Growth and Nutrient Removal in Turtle Aquaculture Wastewater

Xiaosong Tian et al.Biology202410.3390/biology13110901

Longzao LuoChongqing Vocational Institute of Engineering, China

Desmodesmus sp. CHX1turtle aquaculture wastewatertemperature effectslight intensityphotoperiodmicroalgal growthnutrient removalammonia removalnitrate removalnitrite removaltotal phosphorus removalprotein depositionlipid accumulationbiomass accumulationsingle-factor experimentMicroalgae-based wastewater treatmentmicroalgal feed production
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#10 of 8,907
2518m citations

Life cycle assessment on environmental feasibility of microalgae-based wastewater treatment for shrimp recirculating aquaculture systems

April J Arbour et al.Bioresource Technology202410.1016/j.biortech.2024.130578

Jen‐Yi HuangPurdue University, United States

life cycle assessmentMicroalgae-based wastewater treatmentRecirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS)environmental feasibilityaquaculture wastewatermicroalgae cultivationnutrient removalWater recirculationenvironmental impact assessmentbioremediationshrimp aquacultureresource recoverycarbon footprintenergy consumption analysis
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#11 of 8,907
2518m citations

Efficacy of nutritional selenium nanoparticles on growth performance, immune response, antioxidant capacity, expression of growth and immune-related genes, and post-stress recovery in juvenile Sobaity seabream (Sparidentex hasta)

Seyed Eisa Abdollahi-Mousavi et al.Fish & Shellfish Immunology202410.1016/j.fsi.2024.109452

Saeed Keyvanshokooh, Mansour Torfi MozanzadehKhorramshahr University of Marine Science and Technology, Iran

Selenium nanoparticlesSparidentex hastagrowth performanceImmune responseAntioxidant capacityGrowth-related genesimmune-related genesgene expressionStress recoveryjuvenile fishselenium supplementationnanoparticle nutritionFish nutritionStress tolerance
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#12 of 8,907
2518m citations

Dietary nanocomposite of vitamin C and vitamin E enhanced the performance of Nile tilapia

Ahmed H Sherif et al.Scientific Reports202410.1038/s41598-024-65507-1

Ahmed H. SherifResearch Institute AHRI, TW

Nile tilapiaChitosan-vitamin C nanoparticlesChitosan-vitamin E nanoparticleschitosan nanocompositegrowth performanceFeed conversion ratio (FCR)Liver enzymesred blood cells (RBCs)White blood cell countinnate immunityRespiratory burstphagocytic activityantibacterial activityGlutathione peroxidase (GPx)Catalase (CAT)Superoxide dismutase (SOD)Antioxidant capacityMalondialdehyde (MDA)reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavengingDietary supplementation
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#14 of 8,907
2418m citations

Shrimp Cultured in Low-Salt Saline–Alkali Water has a Better Amino Acid Nutrition and Umami─Comparison of Flavors between Saline–Alkali Water- and Seawater-Cultured <i>Litopenaeus vannamei</i>

Kangxiang Qin et al.Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry202410.1021/acs.jafc.3c08435

Huan WangNingbo University, China

Litopenaeus vannameisaline-alkali water aquaculturefree amino acidsFlavoring nucleotidestaste activity valueequivalent umami concentrationhigh-performance liquid chromatographytotal essential amino acidsGlutamic acidcysteineumami synergyprincipal component analysisshrimp muscle flavorlow-salt aquaculture
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#15 of 8,907
2418m citations

Effects of ammonia nitrogen stress on the physiological, biochemical, and metabolic levels of the gill tissue of juvenile four-finger threadfin (Eleutheronema tetradactylum)

Jing-Hui Jin et al.Aquatic Toxicology202410.1016/j.aquatox.2024.107049

Jiansheng HuangGuangdong Ocean University, China

Ammonia stressEleutheronema tetradactylumgilljuvenile fishphysiological responsesbiochemical responsesmetabolic responsesaquatic toxicologyosmoregulationoxidative stressantioxidant enzymesmetabolomicsStress indicatorsaquaculture stress
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#16 of 8,907
2318m citations

Omega-3 fatty acids from fish by-products: Innovative extraction and application in food and feed

Matilde Rodrigues et al.Food and Bioproducts Processing202410.1016/j.fbp.2024.02.007

Lillian BarrosInstituto Politécnico de Bragança, Portugal

omega-3 fatty acidsfish by-productsextraction techniquesoily fishcardiovascular benefitsimmunological complicationsneurological complicationsreproductive complicationsoxidation preventionnatural antioxidantsPolyphenolsplant extractsstability maintenanceshelf life extensionnutritional valuefish oilfood applicationfeed application
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#17 of 8,907
2318m citations

Dietary multi-strains Bacillus spp. enhanced growth performance, blood metabolites, digestive tissues histology, gene expression of Oreochromis niloticus, and resistance to Aspergillus flavus infection

Hagar Sedeek Dighiesh et al.Aquaculture International202410.1007/s10499-024-01502-7

Hagar Sedeek Dighiesh, El‐Sayed Hemdan Eissa, Mohammad Bodrul Munir, Salah El‐Sayed SakrSuez University, Egypt

multi-strain Bacillus probioticsBacillus licheniformisBacillus pumilusBacillus subtilisNile tilapiaAspergillus flavus infectiongrowth hormone (GH)Insulin-like growth factor Iinsulin-like growth factor receptor-1 (IGF-1R)interleukin-8 (IL-8)Interleukin-1βHepatopancreas histologyIntestinal histologySpleen histologyblood metabolitespathogenic toleranceimmune-antioxidant resistanceDose-response relationshipProbiotic supplementation
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#18 of 8,907
2318m citations

Comprehensive analysis of histophysiology, transcriptome and metabolome tolerance mechanisms in black porgy (Acanthopagrus schlegelii) under low temperature stress

Yue Wang et al.The Science of The Total Environment202410.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172318

Zhiwei ZhangShanghai Ocean University, China

Acanthopagrus schlegeliiCold stressCold tolerancehistophysiologytranscriptome analysismetabolomicsmulti-omics integrationTissue histologydifferentially expressed genesmetabolic pathwaysstress responsephysiological adaptationbiochemical markers
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#20 of 8,907
2218m citations

Unraveling novel antioxidant peptides from Asian swamp eel: Identification, in silico selection, and mechanistic insights through quantum chemical calculation and molecular docking

Xiao Wang et al.Food Chemistry202410.1016/j.foodchem.2024.141668

Yongjin Qiao, Wenzong ZhouShanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China

Asian swamp eelantioxidant peptidesin silico selectionQuantum chemical calculationsmolecular dockingpeptide identificationbioactive peptidesstructure-activity relationshipoxidative stresspeptide mechanismcomputational screeningmarine-derived peptidesbinding affinity prediction
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Dominant research themes and year-over-year shifts in Aquaculture Nutrition and Growth

What Topics Define the Class of 2026?

The class of 2026 is largely defined by research focused on specific commercially important species such as Nile tilapia and Litopenaeus vannamei (Pacific white shrimp). Studies prominently measure standard aquaculture metrics like the Feed conversion ratio (FCR) alongside stress and immune indicators such as Malondialdehyde (MDA), Catalase (CAT), and Superoxide dismutase (SOD). There is a distinct emphasis on probiotic supplementation and its effects on antioxidant status and overall growth performance in these key aquaculture species, indicating a move toward optimizing both health and yield.

Leading research themes
Leading research themes

How Did Topics Shift from the Class of 2025 to the Class of 2026?

We observe a pronounced shift toward immunological and environmental stress responses. Mentions of Interleukin-1β, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and osmoregulation surged dramatically, indicating increased attention on fish health under changing environmental conditions and disease pressures. Research into specific interventions, such as selenium nanoparticles and Bacillus species (e.g., B. subtilis, B. licheniformis), has also grown significantly. Conversely, generalized topics like digestive enzymes declined steeply, suggesting the field is moving beyond basic nutritional profiling toward targeted functional foods, immune status enhancement, and precise stress mitigation strategies in aquaculture.

How topics shifted year over year
How topics shifted year over year
Methodology

PRI identifies high-impact research using a transparent, topic-agnostic framework applied consistently across scientific domains. Bibliographic records are drawn from OpenAlex, including publication dates, citation relationships, and document types.

This ranking covers the Class of 2026 cohort: journal articles published in 2024. Reviews and other non-article document types are excluded to ensure comparability.

Research impact is quantified with an 18-month post-publication citation window—the number of citing works published within 18 months of each paper's publication date. This metric captures early impact while controlling for publication age.

An LLM-based relevance classifier then reviews each candidate's title and abstract to confirm substantive alignment with the target domain. Only papers classified as relevant appear in the final ranking.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459

Full methodologyGitHubbioRxiv preprint

Cite this ranking

Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Aquaculture Nutrition and Growth Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/aquaculture-nutrition-and-growth/2026. Accessed 2026-07-15.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459