Research Article: Black cricket (Gryllus bimaculatus) meal as a protein source in the practical diets for juvenile whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)

The present study was conducted to evaluate the potential of black cricket (Gryllus bimaculatus) meal (BCM) as an alternative protein source in the practical diets for the whiteleg shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei juveniles. Six dietary treatments with different levels of BCM at ۰, ۱۰, ۲۰, ۳۰, ۴۰, and ۵۰% (namely BCM ۰–BCM ۵۰, respectively) were prepared, and each diet was fed to triplicate tanks of L. vannamei juveniles (initial body weight ۰.۷۳±۰.۰۱ g) for ۴۰ days. At the end of the experiment, shrimps fed the BCM-included diets (BCM۱۰, ۲۰, ۳۰, ۴۰ or ۵۰) generally attained the higher weight gain (WG), specific growth rate (SGR), survival percentage, and the better feed conversion ratio (FCR) than that fed the control diet (BCM۰). Nevertheless, the shrimps fed BCM۵۰ attained the highest WG (۱۱۲۴.۶%), SGR (۲.۷۱%/ day), survival percentage (۸۸.۳%), and the best FCR value (۱.۸۳) among the BCM-included dietary treatments, and these results were significantly higher (p<۰.۰۵) than those from the control group. In conclusion, the BCM protein can replace ۵۰% of fish meal protein in the practical diets for L. vannamei juveniles without any adverse effects on the shrimp growth performance and survival.  

Keywords:

Insect meal , Two-spotted cricket , Alternative protein source , Pacific white shrimp , Feeding