Systematic review and meta‐analysis of production performance of aquaculture species fed dietary insect meals

Abstract

The present work employed a systematic review and meta‐analysis to quantify the overall effects of various types of insect meal on special growth rate (SGR), feed conversion ratio (FCR) and protein efficiency ratio (PER) of aquatic animals. A total of 107 studies published from 1990 to 2021, targeting 23 freshwater and 17 marine fish species, employing 17 insect species as a replacement for fishmeal, was compiled. Overall, a significantly higher Hedges’ g value for SGR and lower FCR was found in aquatic animals fed dietary larval defatted mealworm Tenebrio molitor and pupal full‐fat silkworm Bombyx mori compared with fishmeal diet. The majority of dietary insect meals had a negative linear correlation with Hedges’ g of growth performance, except larval fly Chrysomya megacephala, which had a positive linear relationship, and of prepupal defatted black soldier fly Hermetia illucens, which had a negative quadratic relationship. Some insect meals, including G. bimaculatus, adult grasshoppers of Oxya fuscovittata and Zonocerus variegatus and larval full‐fat Cirina butyrospermi, supported adequate growth of aquatic animals at plausible inclusion levels. At as low as 2.2%, insect‐derived chitin supported growth performance and improved feed utilization of marine fish species. In the quest to minimize fishmeal in aquafeeds, insect meal holds enormous potential but is not the sole option; rather, integrating insect meal and novel/conventional materials is more strategic. The present study lays the groundwork for further multidisciplinary considerations for the effective use of insect meal as an alternative aquafeed protein with the goal of long‐term sustainability.

Can insects be used in the nutrition of ruminants?

“…When using four edible insects, namely the house cricket (Acheta domesticus L.), the Taiwan giant cricket (Brachytrupes portentosus Serville), the two-spotted cricket (Gryllus bimaculatus De Geer) and the silkworm (Bombyx mori L.), as substitutes for the 25% of SBM in a 60:40 F:C diet, Ahmed et al (2021) found no adverse effects on rumen fermentation characteristics or nutrient digestibility. This clearly suggests, as expected and recently confirmed by Phesatcha et al (2022), that the insect dietary inclusion level also significantly affects fermentation and digestibility, as already reported to occur for monogastric animals (Elahi et al, 2022;Hong and Kim, 2022;Tran et al, 2022). Furthermore, Phesatcha et al (2022) demonstrated that, when using G. bimaculatus meal as a protein replacement for SBM, regardless of the insect dietary inclusion or substitution level, fermentation and digestibility parameters were also affected by the F:C ratio of the diet, thus highlighting the great complexity of factors and interactions involved.…”

Edible insects: Challenges and prospects

“…Nairuti et al (2021) reviewed several studies for possible replacement levels of fishmeal with black soldier fly meal and this ranged from 10% for meager juveniles (Argyrosomus regius) to 25% for Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii) and pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei), 50% for European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) to 100% for Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Tran et (2022) reviewed 107 studies dealing with 23 freshwater and 17 marine fish species, and 17 insect species as a replacement for fishmeal. Two insect meal forms were superior, namely larval defatted Tenebrio molitor and pupal full-fat Bombyx mori, over others in terms of production performance indices.…”

“…Tran et al . (2022) reviewed 107 studies dealing with 23 freshwater and 17 marine fish species, and 17 insect species as a replacement for fishmeal. Two insect meal forms were superior, namely larval defatted Tenebrio molitor and pupal full‐ fat Bombyx mori , over others in terms of production performance indices.…”

Alternative Proteins for Fish Diets: Implications beyond Growth

“…The utilization of insect meal for fishmeal and plant protein replacement in aquaculture has been recently addressed by many researchers. Insects represent a sustainable ingredient with a very interesting nutritional profile and, since their production can be based on substrates that comply with the principles of circular economy (e.g., food wastes), they have become one of the main focuses in fish nutrition over the last five years (see reviews [19][20][21][22][23][24][25] for further information on this subject). Indeed, insects are considered an appropriate protein source, with the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) and yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) as the most important candidate species.…”