The present experiment was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of dietary protein from black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens, larval meal (BSFL) to replace fish meal (FM) protein in juvenile barramundi, Lates calcarifer. Larvae of black soldier fly were fed with the underutilised crop, sesbania, Sesbania grandiflora. Five isonitrogenous (44% crude protein) and isocaloric (16.0 kJ available energy/g) experimental diets were formulated to replace FM using processed BSFL meal at 0 (control), 25% (BSFL25), 50% (BSFL50), 75% (BSFL75) and 100% (BSFL100). Data for proximate and amino acid analysis suggested BSFL meal as an inferior protein ingredient than FM, but parallel to soybean meal. At the end of 8 weeks of fish feeding trial, there were no significant differences in the average weight gain (WG) and specific growth rate among the group of fish-fed control, BSFL25 and BSFL50 diets (P \ 0.05). Although numerical differences were recorded in the fish whole-body proximate composition, crude protein and moisture content were not much affected by the different dietary treatments. Essential amino acids including arginine, histidine, lysine and methionine were found to be higher in the whole body of fish-fed BSFL100 diet. Broken line regression analysis of average WG showed an optimum FM replacement level of 28.4% with BSFL meal. Therefore, the present experiment clearly demonstrates that the maximal dietary inclusion level of BSFL meal as FM protein replacer for the optimum growth of juvenile barramundi reared in freshwater could be greater than 28.4% but less than 50%, without any adverse effects on the fish whole-body proximate and amino acid composition.

The present experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of bambara groundnut meal (BGM) as the dietary carbohydrate source and as an alternative of dietary wheat flour in nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus. Results from the nutrient profile analysis of various carbohydrate ingredients showed, higher crude protein and lipid content in bambara groundnut meal followed by wheat flour, dextrin and corn starch. Whereas, dextrin was found to content lower amount of moisture compared to bambara groundnut meal, wheat flour and dextrin. Four isonitrogeonus and isocaloric diets were formulated to replace wheat flour using bambara groundnut meal at 0 (CON), 25 (BGM 25 ), 50 (BGM 50 ), and 100% (BGM 100 ). Nile tilapia fish individual initial weight averaging 20±0.5 g (mean ± standard deviation) were fed one of the four experimental diets at 2~3% of body weight per day for eight weeks. At the end of the experiment, there were no significant differences in the average weight gain (WG) and specific growth rate (SGR) among the group of fish fed Control, BGM 25 and BGM 50 diets (P < 0.05). However, WG and SGR of fish fed BGM 100 diet was significantly lower than that of fish fed BGM 25 diet (P < 0.05). Crude protein and crude lipid content in the fish whole body proximate composition was not much affected by the BGM inclusion as a carbohydrate source. Therefore, the overall observations from the current experiment may suggest the potential of bambara groundnut meal as the carbohydrate ingredient in omnivorous fish diets. The optimum replacement level of wheat flour using bambara groundnut meal could be greater than 50 but less than 100% of diet in nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus.