SPAROS claimed the new product "sets a new standard for cod hatchery performance."
Photo: SPAROS.
Aquaculture nutrition specialist SPAROS announced the launch of WINCod, a next-generation microdiet developed specifically for Atlantic cod larvae. The company claimed the new product "sets a new standard for cod hatchery performance."
Emerging from a project called EarlyCOD, according to SPAROS, the microdiet addresses the main challenges in cod hatcheries: high mortality, skeletal deformities, and inconsistent juvenile quality.
In its release, the company said that extensive trials show that WINCod significantly improves larval robustness, while reducing skeletal abnormalities and promoting healthier organ development.
"The result is higher-quality juveniles, giving hatcheries greater predictability and control over production outcomes," the Portuguese company said.
The company also said that WINCod, which has been designed for early co-feeding protocols, pairs seamlessly with Planktonic's cryoplankton, offering "a synergistic nutritional strategy" that supports larvae during the critical first feeding and weaning stages.
Planktonic offers frozen live plankton, a live marine ingredient, that can be stored indefinitely and shipped to customers with no loss of quality, ready for thawing and feeding to fish larvae in hatcheries.
Regarding the formulation of WINCod, SPAROS pointed out that it is the result of years of targeted R&D combined with industrial-scale validation, ensuring both biological performance and practical implementation. Thus, by strengthening larvae from early stages, the microdiet also reduces dependence on traditional live feeds, helping to simplify hatchery operations.
"With WINCod, SPAROS delivers an aquafeed that supports more sustainable, cost-effective cod aquaculture, accelerating the transition from research into real-world practical solutions," the company claimed. "WINCod marks a major milestone for the growing cod farming sector—and a decisive step forward in early-stage nutrition," it added.
Available in different pellet sizes—150, 300, and 500 µm—according to its developers, WINCod allows precise matching to larval developmental stages, and early adopters in Norway have already reported measurable improvements in hatchery performance.
This launch is the company's second in less than two weeks. At the end of January, the aquaculture nutrition specialist also announced the launch of OptiFeeSH, a new data-driven feeding solution developed in collaboration with aquaculture data and software company aquaManager.
According to both companies, the new tool is intended to help producers move away from trial-and-error feeding practices by linking biological data with site-specific conditions and production objectives.
"OptiFeeSH represents a pivotal advancement for precision aquaculture," said Luís Conceição, co-CEO of SPAROS, in the release announcing its launch, adding that "precision feeding is in the roadmap for more profitable, environmentally and fish-friendly aquaculture."