Impact of Tenebrio molitor larvae meal substituted for fish meal in diets for juvenile Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus): Growth performance and feed efficiency

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of feeding Nile tilapiya juvenile (Oreochromis niloticus) with diets based on fish meal and Tenebrio molitor (TM) larvae meal on growth performance and feed efficiency. For this purpose, three diets were prepared: Control diet (FM); without T. molitor larvae meal, insect diet (TM); 100% of fish meal has been replaced by T. molitor larvae meal and mixture diet (FM/TM); 50% of fish meal has been replaced by T. molitor larvae meal. A total of three groups in three replications were used over the 46-day investigation. In the experiment, 1-month-old Nile tilapia juveniles were used, which were with an average weight of 0.12±0.001 g. At the end of the experiment, the best growth was in the FM group, then the TM group and the lowest growth was in the FM/TM group (P0.05). SGR was quite low in all groups. The overall feeding response was good and the experimental diets were well accepted by the fish. The best FCR was in the FM group. This was followed by the group fed the TM diet. However, statistically, the difference between them was not significant (P