This article provides a brief summary on recent advances inPenaeus vannameinutrition research in Ecuador. In 1988, a study was performed to identify the lipid profile of wild shrimp larvae and broodstock, collected along the Ecuadorian coast. The average fatty acid percentages relative to total lipid content in wild larvae were: 3.24% of 18:2n-6 and 1.22% of 18:3n-3, while the percentages found for the highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA) eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) were 13.26 and 13.91, respectively.P. vannameijuveniles were found to have higher survival and growth rates (138 mg/d) when fed a diet containing 11% dietary lipid level.P. vannameijuveniles performed best with a diet containing 40% protein. Average weight gain was 137 mg/d. The optimum vitamin C level in artificial diets, forP. vannameijuveniles, was found to be 4.6 mg ascorbic acid equivalents/100 g diet. A series of experiments designed to determine digestibility of diets containing local feedstuffs are reported here.