Fishmeal, as the main source of protein for shrimp, has been recently under ecological and economic issues and new alternatives have been developed. A group of Greek and Thai researchers together with Ÿnsect tested the effect of replacing fishmeal with a defatted insect meal, ŸnMealTM, comprised of yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) in Pacific white shrimp. All diets were isoproteic, isoenergetic, and balanced in lysine and methionine. After the feeding trial, shrimp were challenged with pathogenic bacteria (Vibrio parahaemolyticus).

Researchers found that growth and feed conversion parameters improved when insect meal was included in shrimp diets with the highest weight gain and best food conversion ratio achieved when 50% of fishmeal was replaced by insect meal vs the control diet that contained no insect meal. Moreover, in challenged shrimp, mortality rates were significantly less among groups that received insect meal, with a 76.9% lower mortality rate in the 50% fishmeal replacement group vs the control.

Researchers concluded that the inclusion of insect meal in shrimp diets improves growth when combined with fishmeal without causing adverse effects on shrimp survival or feed ingestion. Furthermore, one of the most important benefits of this feed ingredient is the improvement of immunity and resistance to disease, which translates to an improvement of shrimp survival and shows the potential of insect meals as functional feed sources.

Read full study here.