Chen, Yan, Li, Wenfeng, Zhong, Minyi, Ma, Jun, Chen, Bing, Cao, Junming, Loh, Jiun-Yan, and Huang, Hai (2025) Black soldier fly larvae meal as a sustainable fishmeal substitute for juvenile hybrid grouper: Impacts on growth, immunity, and gut health. Fishes, 10 (7). 344.

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first_page Download PDF settings Order Article Reprints Open AccessArticle Black Soldier Fly Larvae Meal as a Sustainable Fishmeal Substitute for Juvenile Hybrid Grouper: Impacts on Growth, Immunity, and Gut Health by Yan Chen 1,2,3,4, Wenfeng Li 1,2,3,4, Minyi Zhong 5, Jun Ma 1,2,3,4, Bing Chen 6, Junming Cao 6, Jiun-Yan Loh 7 [ORCID] and Hai Huang 1,2,3,4,* 1 College of Fisheries and Life Science, Hainan Tropical Ocean University, Sanya 572000, China 2 Yazhou Bay Innovation Institute, Hainan Tropical Ocean University, Sanya 572024, China 3 Hainan Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Tropical Marine Fishery Resources, Sanya 572022, China 4 Key Laboratory of Utilization and Conservation for Tropical Marine Bioresources (Hainan Tropical Ocean University), Ministry of Education, Sanya 572022, China 5 YuYi Habitat consultation Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 510642, China 6 Institute of Animal Science, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China 7 Tropical Futures Institute, James Cook University Singapore, 149 Sims Drive, Singapore 387380, Singapore * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Fishes 2025, 10(7), 344; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes10070344 Submission received: 24 May 2025 / Revised: 26 June 2025 / Accepted: 27 June 2025 / Published: 11 July 2025 (This article belongs to the Section Nutrition and Feeding) Download keyboard_arrow_down Browse Figures Versions Notes

Abstract Background: Aquaculture increasingly seeks sustainable alternatives to fishmeal, a key protein source in fish diets. Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) meal is a promising substitute, but its effects on fish growth, immunity, and gut health need further investigation. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of varying BSFL inclusion levels on juvenile hybrid grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus ♀ × Epinephelus lanceolatus ♂), a widely farmed species in tropical aquaculture. Methods: Juvenile hybrid grouper were fed diets with four levels of BSFL substitution (0%, 10%, 30%, and 50%) over 56 days. Key metrics such as growth performance, immune function, antioxidant capacity, and gut transcriptome were analyzed. Results: Replacing fish meal with BSFL meal had no significant effect on the survival rate of hybrid grouper (p > 0.05) but significantly affected growth performance, immune function, and antioxidant capacity (p < 0.05). BSFL10 and BSFL30 groups showed good growth and elevated immune enzyme activity, with significantly higher HIS levels (p < 0.05); the Wf of the BSFL10 group was comparable to the control. However, excessive replacement (BSFL50) led to reduced growth (Wf significantly lower, p < 0.05) and increased oxidative stress, as indicated by higher CAT activity (p < 0.05). Transcriptomic analysis revealed upregulation of immune- and metabolism-related genes with increasing BSFL levels, with immune pathways notably activated in the BSFL50 group. Conclusions: BSFL meal is a promising alternative to fishmeal in juvenile hybrid grouper diets, with moderate inclusion (10–30%) being most beneficial. Excessive BSFL substitution (50%) may impair fish health, highlighting the need for careful formulation in aquaculture diets.

Item ID:	86532
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	2410-3888
Copyright Information:	© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Date Deposited:	05 Aug 2025 22:38
FoR Codes:	30 AGRICULTURAL, VETERINARY AND FOOD SCIENCES > 3005 Fisheries sciences > 300501 Aquaculture @ 100%
SEO Codes:	10 ANIMAL PRODUCTION AND ANIMAL PRIMARY PRODUCTS > 1002 Fisheries - aquaculture > 100202 Aquaculture fin fish (excl. tuna) @ 100%
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