Application of black cumin Nigella sativa as immunostimulant for the prevention of White Spot Disease in Pacific whiteleg shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei

White spot disease (WSD) is a serious problem for Pacific whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) production in the world. Therefore, some efforts to prevent WSD are needed, including through the application of immunostimulants. This study aims to obtain the best dose of black cumin for the duration of 4 and 6 weeks as an immunostimulant in L. vannamei. The experiment used a Completely Randomized Design, with a control and 3 treatments: black cumin with a dose of 0% (control - K), 0.1%, 0.5%, and 1%. The shrimp received black cumin through feed before being infected with white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) and observed for 7 days. The parameters observed included immunity parameters and production performance parameters. The use of black cumin was able to increase the resistance of the tested shrimp against WSSV infection. The doses of 1% for a duration of 4 weeks and 0.1% for a duration of 6 weeks showed the best results. Black cumin increased the total haemocyte count value of the tested shrimp compared to the control. The application of black cumin at a dose of 1% for 6 weeks did not have a negative impact on the production performance of Pacific whiteleg shrimp.