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

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.

Automated summary

This study conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the effects of insect meal on the growth performance of aquatic animals. The results showed that using insect meal as a replacement for fishmeal could improve the special growth rate and feed conversion ratio of aquatic animals. Different insect meals had different correlations with the growth performance of aquatic animals. The inclusion of insect-derived chitin at low levels also supported the growth performance of marine fish species.