Aquaculture America 2024

February 18 - 21, 2024

San Antonio, Texas

NUTRITIONAL EFFECTS OF BLACK SOLDIER FLY LARVAE PROTEIN INCLUSION IN DIETS OF JUVENILE RED DRUM Sciaenops ocellatus

Juan F. Paredes *, Marty Riche, Sahar Mejri, Paul S. Wills, 

David J. Bradshaw and Radu Popa.    

 

Florida Atlantic University

Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute

paredesj@fau.edu

 



 Fish meal holds outstanding nutritional value, and it is a principal component of most fish diets. However, aquafeed production reliance on fish meal is questionable due to economic, environmental and sustainability reasons. During the last decade in the USA and globally, insects have emerged as an alternative to terrestrial plants, marine and animal protein sources in aquaculture. Insects are rich in protein and lipids, and contrary to plants, they are devoid of anti-nutritional components and indigestible non-starch polysaccharides. Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL), maggot meal, mealworm larvae, adult Orthoptera (grasshoppers and crickets), and silkworm pupae have been the focus of investigation for their nutritional attributes, ease of rearing and high biomass production. BSFL has shown to provide a well-balanced amino acid profile, strengthening its potential as a promising fish meal substitute to include into aquafeed diets. For these reasons, the objective of the current study was to determine the appropriate dietary inclusion level of black soldier fly meal (BSFM) based on the growth performance of Red drum. The results suggested that 50% BSFM inclusion level is appropriate plus it seems as a forthcoming and promising low-cost, sustainable and nutritious replacement of fish meal protein when formulating commercial diets for Red drum. These efforts are geared toward developing complete commercial diets for sustainable farming of US aquaculture fish species.