Biological performance and feed utilization of carob moth (Ectomeylois ceratoniae) larvae as an alternative dietary meal on Oreochromis niloticus

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Agriculture Sciences Laboratory DEDSPAZA, Biskra University, Algeria

2 Department of Biological Sciences, Laboratory GBVBR, Biskra University, Algeria

3 Département de Biological Sciences, Annaba University, Algeria

Abstract

Experiments using tilapia fish (Oreochromis niloticus) were used to assess the impact of dietary inclusion of Ectomeylois ceratoniae (EC) larval meal. A first growth trial was carried out on 360 Tilapia fish using three experimental diets, each of which had increasing quantities of EC meal inclusion. These diets were developed to contain EC meal inclusion at levels of 0 (EC0), 25% (EC1), 50% (EC2), and 100% (EC3). In 2021, our research was carried out at the department of agricultural sciences, Biskra University in Algeria. All fish given the test diets were examined for performance, as well as the fatty acid (FA) composition and proximal body profile. The addition of EC at 100% affects tilapia growth performance. When compared to EC1, EC2 and EC0, dietary EC3 improves tilapia growth and feed efficiency. Moreover, the impact on body weight, particularly protein and cinders, is significant, while EC3-fed fish had the lowest body lipid levels of all the treatments. Overall, the findings show that insect meal substrates will have an impact on fish performance; larvae are a good source of protein when used to substitute fishmeal. Therefore, more research is needed to optimize the EC harvest processing procedure. The nutritional composition of fish feed can also be improved to increase efficiency.

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