Substituting dietary fishmeal with silkworm pupae meal in diets of Pacific white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei): Effects on growth performance, nutrient utilisation, whole-body composition and digestive enzyme activities

The present study evaluated the dietary substitution effect of silkworm pupae meal (SWP) forfish meal (FM) on growth performance, feed utilisation, whole-body proximate composition,amino acid profile and digestive enzyme activities of Pacific white shrimp (Penaeusvannamei). The shrimp were fed with six isonitrogenous (36% crude protein), isolipidic (8%crude lipid) and isocaloric (16 MJ kg-1) experimental diets, containing 0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and100% SWP, respectively, to replace dietary FM. A total of 360 shrimps (average initial weightof 3.86±0.20 g) were distributed into 18 tanks (20 shrimp per tank). The experimental dietswere fed to triplicate groups of P. vannamei three times a day until satiation for 45 days.Significantly (p<0.05) higher growth performance and feed utilisation were found in shrimpfed diet with 60% incorporation level of SWP meal. No significant differences (p>0.05) wereobserved in the survival rate, whole-body proximate composition and amino acid profile ofshrimp fed SWP meal-incorporated diets. Additionally, higher specific activities of digestiveenzymes such as amylase, trypsin and lipase were observed in shrimps fed diet with 60%incorporation level of SWP meal. The present study revealed that dietary fish meal proteinup to 60% can be substituted with SWP without compromising growth performance, feedutilisation, whole-body proximate composition, amino acid profile and digestive enzymeactivities of Pacific white shrimp fed on SWP meal based diets. Keywords:Amylase, Feed ingredient, Waste utilisation,Weight gain