Performance and fillet traits of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fed different levels of Hermetia illucens meal in a low-tech aquaponic system
Francesco Bordignon, Laura Gasco, Marco Birolo, Angela Trocino, Christian Caimi, Cristina Ballarin, Martina Bortoletti, Carlo Nicoletto, Carmelo Maucieri, Gerolamo Xiccato
In this study, we evaluated the effects of dietary substitution of fishmeal (FM) with partially defatted Hermetia
illucens meal (HI) on the growth, feed digestibility, gut morphology, and fillet quality of rainbow trout reared in a
low-tech aquaponic system.
Fish growth and fillet quality were essentially unaffected by a 25% fish meal replacement with HI in
isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets (control diet containing 200 g/kg of fish meal), whereas at a replacement
rate of 50%, we detected certain effects on gut histology and fillet colour and nutritional characteristics, which
warrant further investigation.
