Using of Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia Illucens) Larvae Meal in Fish Nutrition

Abstract

Fish consumption is expected to increase in future due to increase in demand for animal products. Fish meal is a mayor ingredient in Salmonidae diets and it considerably increases the cost of fish feed. Replacing fish meal with plant protein was not so successful, primarily due to low biological value of plant protein (composition and ratio of amino acids). Recently, many researchers started to look into the possibility of using insects in fish nutrition. EU Regulation No 813/2017 [1] approved the use of the following seven insects as animal feed: Black soldier fly – BSF (Hermetia illucens), Common housefly (Musca domestica), Banded cricket (Gryllodes sigillatus), Field cricket (Gryllus assimilis), House cricket (Acheta domesticus), Lesser Mealworm (Alphitobius diaperinus) and Yellow Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor). Among them, use of black soldier fly shows the most promising results. BSF contains between 40 and 45% of crude protein and even more than 40% of ether extract - depending on the substrate it was reared on, and stage in the life cycle. Protein from BSF larval meal contains favourable composition of amino acids for fish nutrition. Additionally, fatty acids composition of BSF that depends on the growing substrates can be adjusted to have higher content of ALA, EPA and DHA, and lower content of SFA. The literature data about replacing fish meal with BSF larval meal is controversial. What appears to be the best is to replace up to 50% of fish meal with BSF larval meal in rainbow trout nutrition, as this shows no adverse effect on fish performances, including weight gain rate, specific growth rate, protein efficiency ratio, and protein productive value.