Aug 2026· Animals· Vol 16, pp. 2537· 0 citations· 46 references
Medicine
TL;DR
Preliminary findings suggest that S. horneri can potentially be utilized in aquaculture feed to support sustainable production of R. nilotica, fostering a circular economy that benefits both the environment and local economies.
Abstract
Simple Summary The marine gastropod Rochia nilotica is a valuable resource for Pacific Island nations, but its wild populations are rapidly declining. Farming these snails using conventional tank-culture methods is challenging because their growth is inherently slow when relying solely on natural algae attached to tank surfaces. To address this, a formulated feed incorporating Sargassum horneri—a brown macroalga that causes harmful ‘Golden Tide’ blooms—was evaluated in a proof-of-concept investigation. Juvenile snails were fed either the natural algae or a diet containing 40% S. horneri for 120 days in a pilot-scale trial in Micronesia. The top shells fed the formulated diet grew notably faster in shell width and gained substantially more weight than those that consumed natural algae, with a high survival rate of 94%. These preliminary findings suggest that S. horneri can potentially be utilized in aquaculture feed to support sustainable production of R. nilotica, fostering a circular economy that benefits both the environment and local economies.
The mud crab (
Scylla paramamosain
) represents a highly valued marine commodity native to mangrove habitats. At present, its commercial farming relies heavily on conventional techniques that are vulnerable to environmental fluctuations. This research aims to assess how different natural diets influence the growth metrics and survival rates of mud crabs housed in a Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS)- integrated crab apartment. The results indicated that the green mussel (
Perna viridis
) diet produced the largest absolute weight increase (92.50 g), significantly outperforming the
Rasbora
spp. diet (21.17 g) and the control group fed with
Caranx leptolepis
(63.33 g). Statistical evaluation using DMRT confirmed these significant dietary effects. Furthermore, the nearly 100% survival rate highlights that individualized rearing in an RAS apartment efficiently mitigates the cannibalistic nature of this species.
Muhammad Rizky Hidayat, R. Aryawati, Muhammad Hendri et al.· BIO Web of Conferences· 0 citations
Commercial broiler rabbit production has emerged as a promising alternative source of animal protein in the Caribbean; however, it remains highly dependent on imported feed ingredients. This incites the need for feed resource diversification, which includes the incorporation of local ingredients and tropical forages. This study examines Malabar spinach (
Basella alba
L.), an underutilised local forage, for its effectiveness as a supplemental feed ingredient in rabbit diets. A feeding trial was conducted using 20 New Zealand/Californian crossbreed rabbits. The control group (T0) was offered a diet of commercial rabbit ration, while the treatment group (T1) was offered the same control diet supplemented with 1% Malabar spinach leaf meal. No significant difference in the growth performance was observed between groups. Most of the carcass evaluation parameters were not statistically significant, except for kidney weight (T0 = 14.00 g, T1 = 10.89 g;
p
-value 0.009). Meat crude protein content was similar between groups; however, T1 showed a lower crude fat percentage (1.64%) than T0 (2.93%) (
p
-value 0.004). The presence of coccidia was confirmed among both groups after mortalities were experienced. Necropsy results attributed the mortalities in T0 to coccidiosis, and T1 to heat stress, which stimulated interest in the nutraceutical potential of this ingredient. Overall, Malabar spinach was successfully supplemented into rabbit diets at 1%, with no negative effects to growth performance and feed intake.
Arianna Sadiyah Jahoor, K. Jones· Frontiers in Animal Science· 0 citations
The use of aquaculture feed ingredients based on wild fish capture is an ecological concern since it leads to natural habitat destruction and loss of biodiversity. Addressing this concern, black soldier fly larvae meal (BSFLM) has been suggested as a promising alternative ingredient to replace fish meal. To date, the advantages and disadvantages of BSFLM as an alternative ingredient for different aquaculture species have been extensively investigated. However, its impacts on closed aquaculture systems, like aquaponics, particularly on water quality, plant growth and elemental dynamics, have not been researched extensively. Therefore, a 56-day feeding trial on the substitution of conventional fish meal with BSFLM at inclusion rates of 5, 10 and 15% on the performance of
Micropterus salmoides
(18.58 ± 2.86 g) and aquaponic system was conducted. The results showed that fish weight gain and plant (
Lactuca sativa
) yield were optimal at the 5% inclusion level but decreased at the 10 and 15% levels of BSFLM inclusion in the diet. The latest water quality parameters led to a decrease in ammonia and phosphorus levels by 15% BSFLM in the diet. The macro-mineral (Ca, Mg, K) utilisation efficiency decreased with increasing BSFLM levels, while trace minerals (Zn, Cu, Fe) were more effectively utilised at 5% inclusion. Most LCA impact categories increased with increasing levels of BSFLM in diet, mainly caused by the electricity and water demand and composting-related nitrogen emissions of BSFLM production. Findings suggest that a moderate 5% BSFLM inclusion is optimal for aquaponic system performance.
M. Zhumanova, R. Abdessan, X.L. Luo et al.· Journal of Insects as Food a...· 0 citations
Objectives: This study evaluated the production efficiency, nutritional value, growth performance, and economic viability of black soldier fly (BSF) (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) larvae as a sustainable alternative to commercial feed in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) aquaculture.
Materials and Methods: BSF larvae were reared on a mixed substrate of four organic waste types. Monthly total larval yield, substrate reduction efficiency, and conversion rate were calculated to evaluate production efficiency. The nutritional composition of BSF larvae and commercial fish feed was determined through proximate analysis following the AOAC (1980) procedures. Growth performance was assessed using 30 Nile tilapia (15 fish per tank). Fish were fed daily at 5% of body weight. The control group received 100% commercial feed, whereas the experimental group received 100% BSF larvae.
Results: One-way ANOVA revealed significant (p < 0.05) monthly effects on total larval yield (1.44 × 10-7), substrate reduction efficiency (0.0002), and conversion rate (1.6 × 10-8). LSD post-hoc analysis identified April as the peak production month. Cohen’s d showed medium differences in dry matter (0.74–0.73) and moisture (0.75–0.76), very large differences in crude protein (3.26–4.08) and ash (3.11–3.32), and extremely large differences in ether extract (9.77–10.23), highlighting the superior nutritional value of BSF larvae. Weight gain did not differ significantly between feeding treatments (p > 0.05), although BSF-fed fish showed slightly greater growth. Cohen’s d revealed a medium effect size, suggesting a moderate advantage of BSF larvae.
Conclusions: Nile tilapia fed 100% BSF larvae achieved growth comparable to those fed commercial feed at less than half the feed cost (77.79 vs. 161 BDT/kg), demonstrating that BSF larvae are a nutritionally rich, economically viable, and sustainable protein source for aquaculture in Bangladesh.
Fahima Israt, M. Kibria, M. Hasan et al.· Journal of Advanced Veterina...· 0 citations
Larval rearing in echinoculture still has room for optimization in order to reach economical soundness and commercial‐scale production. One of the key factors in larval feeding is to provide larvae the necessary energy for metamorphosis into juveniles. Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816) is a meroplanktonic species with a planktotrophic larval stage, relying entirely on phytoplankton as a food source due to its limited maternal yolk reserves. While the importance of optimal microalgal diets in maximizing larval yields is well established, there is a lack of comprehensive studies on the ideal feed ratio for P. lividus larval rearing. The present study aimed to fill this knowledge gap in this Atlanto‐Mediterranean sea urchin, assessing the effects of different food ratios on its planktonic development, to shed light on the existence of optimal food quantity to adopt. We tested three different concentrations (low, medium, and high ratios) of a mixed microalgal diet (Isochrysis galbana, Chaetoceros calcitrans, and Rhodomonas lens) which were doubled on each transition to the subsequent larval development stage. The results showed that the food quantity significantly affected the survival rate, development, lifespan, and metamorphosis success of pluteus, indicating the range from 1500 to 12000 cells·mL−1 as optimal, with lower yields occurring both at higher and lower feeding ratios.
L. Grosso, J. Sousa, P. Santos et al.· Aquaculture Nutrition· 0 citations
Koi (Cyprinus carpio) are a freshwater ornamental fish with high economic value, thus requiring feed that can support growth and efficient nutrient utilization. The purpose of this study was to examine how adding seaweed extract from Sargassum sp. to food affected the growth and survival of koi. Using a completely randomized design (CRD) with four treatments and three duplicates, the trial was carried out over a 30-day period. P0 (no Sargassum sp. extract applied), P1 (50 mL/kg of feed), P2 (100 mL/kg of feed), and P3 (150 mL/kg of feed) were the treatments. Survival rate, absolute length growth, absolute weight gain, feed conversion ratio (FCR), feed use efficiency (EPP), feed proximate composition, and water quality were among the factors noted. ANOVA at a 95% confidence level was used to evaluate the data, and where significant differences were discovered, Duncan's test was used. The findings demonstrated that while the addition of Sargassum sp. extract had no influence on survival rate, it had a substantial impact on absolute length growth, absolute weight growth, FCR, and EPP (P < 0.05). The greatest absolute weight increase of 62.00 g, the greatest absolute length growth of 15.17 cm, the lowest FCR of 1.09, and the highest EPP of 90.75% were all achieved by treatment P3. Nevertheless, additional testing revealed no discernible differences between P2 and P3. In every treatment group, the fish's survival rate was 100%. Therefore, the development and feed consumption efficiency of koi fish were ideally enhanced by the addition of Sargassum sp. extract at a concentration of 100 mL/kg of feed.
Amanda Ratu Valisha, A. Syukur, Nunik Cokroawati· JURNAL BIOLOGI TROPIS· 0 citations