Effect of replacement of dietary fish meal with silkworm pupae meal and black soldier fly larvae meal as a combination diet on the growth and digestive performance of koi carp Cyprinus carpio var. koi in the nursery phase
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Abstract
The feasibility of using silkworm pupae meal and black soldier fly larvae meal in combination to replace fish meal in
koi carp fry was assessed. Two weeks-old koi fry (2.47±0.15 cm, 0.28±0.06 g) were used as experimental animals. Four
iso-nitrogenous experimental diets (T1, T2, T3, T4) with 35±0.37% crude protein were formulated. In T1, T2 and T3,
50% of fish meal was replaced with silkworm pupae meal and black soldier fly larvae meal at different combinations, i.e.,
T1 (25:75), T2 (50:50), T3 (75:25). In T4, 100% of fish meal was replaced with silkworm pupae meal and black soldier fly
larvae meal at 50:50 ratio. Present research findings showed that T2 diet-fed fishes performed significantly better (p<0.05)
than other diets in all the growth parameters viz., mean length gain (3.13±0.01 cm), mean weight gain (3.13±0.02 g),
percentage length gain (127±0.71%), percentage weight gain (1118±7.07%), specific growth rate (4.16±0.01%/day),
feed conversion ratio (1.30±0.01), feed efficiency ratio (0.76±0.01), protein efficiency ratio (2.18±0.01) and survival rate
(28±1.41%). Digestive enzyme activities were also higher in T2 diet-fed fishes. Therefore, insect meal can be effectively
utilised to replace fish meal in the diet of koi fry.
Keywords: Black soldier fly larvae meal, Digestive enzymes, Growth performance, Koi carp fry, Silkworm pupae meal