Aquaculture, a rapidly expanding sector in global food production, requires sustainable and nutritionally adequate feed ingredients. The traditional protein sources, fishmeal and soybean meal, are facing sustainability challenges. In this context, the Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) has emerged as a promising alternative protein source for aquafeeds. Abundant in protein, lipids, and essential amino acids, BSF larvae can be reared on organic waste, offering both environmental and economic benefits. Recent research has shown that BSF meal can effectively replace conventional feed ingredients in fish diets without compromising growth performance, feed conversion efficiency, or overall fish health. This paper investigates the potential of BSF larvae in tilapia feeds to establish their viability as a sustainable component in aquaculture nutrition.
Tilapia weighing 6.90 ± 0.39 g on average were fed with diets containing either 0, 20, 40, 60, or 80% protein from Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae. The feeds were fed to the fish in three (3) replicates per treatment for 12 weeks, and their effects on the growth, survival, food conversion ratio (FCR), fish hematology, intestinal morphology, and gut microbiota were assessed.
The results indicated that the growth, survival, and FCR of the fish up to an 80% inclusion level did not differ significantly from the control (p>0.05). Likewise, all other parameters, such as hematological indices, intestinal morphology (microvilli, mucosal fold, muscle layer), and the gut microbial community, were not adversely affected by replacing 80% of the protein from FM with that from BSF (p>0.05).
Overall, BSF larvae meal can be used to substitute up to 80% of the fish meal protein without adversely affecting the growth, survival, and physiology of tilapia.