A comprehensive evaluation of replacing fishmeal with housefly (Musca domestica ) maggot meal in the diet of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus ): growth performance, flesh quality, innate immunity and water environment

Abstract

A 10‐week feeding trial of using housefly (Musca domestica) maggot meal (MM) in practical feeds for Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) was conducted to assess the growth performance, ingredient utilization, flesh quality, innate immunity and its influence on water environment. Fish were fed five isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets, where fishmeal (FM) was substituted by MM at the level of 0, 90, 180, 270 and 360 g kg‐1 diet (remaining FM content: 360, 270, 180, 90 and 0 g kg‐1). There was no significant difference in feed intake and apparent digestibility coefficient between the treatments. Replacing up to 270 g kg‐1 FM did not have an impact on the growth performance and ingredient utilization, whereas the complete replacement of FM caused significantly lower survival rate, weight gain, specific growth rate and higher feed conversion rate. Dietary MM was also proved positively influential in flesh quality, whereas replacing 180 g kg‐1 or more FM suppressed the innate immunity of tilapia. When compared by the effects on the water environment, the increasing substitute levels were accompanied with the declining concentrations of nitrite nitrogen and total phosphorus in the water. Our study verified the feasibility of using MM as a partial substitute of FM in aquatic feed. When replacing 180 g kg‐1 FM (corresponding to half of the FM content in control diet) in the diet of Nile tilapia, it can serve as a renewable and environmentally superior alternative without compromising the performance criteria.

Preliminary evaluation of Superworm ( Zophobas morio ) larval meal as a partial protein source in experimental diets for juvenile Asian sea bass, Lates calcarifer

“…The ADC of dry matter may be affected by the type of raw material employed for rearing of insect larvae. A similar result was obtained when substituting FM with housefly (Musca domestica) maggot meal in the diet of O. niloticus fingerling (Ogunji et al, 2007;Wang et al, 2017). The lower ADC for crude protein of DFSM may be due to lower content in some essential amino acids like methionine (Table 2).…”

The Use of Defatted Tenebrio molitor Larvae Meal as a Main Protein Source Is Supported in European Sea Bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) by Data on Growth Performance, Lipid Metabolism, and Flesh Quality

“…This higher P digestibility resulted in a pronounced reduction of total P losses, which suggests that the use of dTM as a FM replacer in European sea bass could help reducing P output into the environment. Likewise, Wang et al (2017) demonstrated in Nile tilapia that FM replacement by increasing levels of M. domestica from 18% to 100% resulted in lower concentrations of total phosphate in the water. This metabolic feature might be part of the adaptive response of fish facing a reduced dietary P supply.…”

“…This was supported by the lack of changes in skeletal muscle cellularity and instrumental texture properties. To our best knowledge, the muscle cellularity of fish fed IM diets was never assessed before, but previous studies in different farmed fish species have evidenced the preservation of textural properties with high levels of FM replacement by IM (Lock et al, 2016;Borgogno et al, 2017;Iaconisi et al, 2017;Wang et al, 2017;Secci et al, 2019;Bruni et al, 2020).…”

Edible Insects as a Protein Source: A Review of Public Perception, Processing Technology, and Research Trends

“…Smallholder farms in Asia and Africa commonly use insects as fish feed (Dobermann et al, 2017). Housefly-larvae meal can replace up to 75% of fishmeal in Nile tilapia diets without any adverse effects (Wang et al, 2017). Replacing fish meal with black-soldier-fly meal in diets does not alter the odor, flavor, or texture of Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ) (Lock et al, 2016).…”