Early fry performance of swamp eel (Monopterus albus) fed diets containing black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) pupa meal
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The swamp eel (Monopterus albus) is an economically important freshwater species in Asia. However, its early life stage is constrained by high mortality and strong dependence on high-quality diets in intensive farming. This study evaluated the effects of dietary black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) pupa meal (DBSFPM) on the growth performance, feed utilization, and survival of swamp eel fry during a 45-day rearing period. Five diets were formulated with graded DBSFPM levels (0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 g kg?¹), and 675 fry were reared in a completely randomized design with triplicate treatments. Growth performance improved significantly with increasing DBSFPM supplementation during the rearing period (P?0.05). At day 45, weight-related parameters exhibited a threshold response, with no significant difference between 0 and 5 g kg?¹ (P?0.05), whereas higher supplementation levels (10-20 g kg?¹) significantly enhanced growth (P?0.05). In contrast, length-related parameters responded at lower supplementation levels, with all supplemented groups outperforming the control (P?0.05). The feed conversion ratio was significantly improved at 15-20 g kg?¹ (P?0.05). Survival rates remained high (>93%) in all treatments. Although survival did not differ between supplemental groups and the control (P?0.05), the 20 g kg?¹ group showed a significantly higher survival rate than lower supplemental treatments (5-15 g kg?¹) (P?0.05). There was no significant difference in size uniformity among treatments (P?0.05). Overall, DBSFPM supplementation enhanced growth performance and feed efficiency, with optimal results observed at 15-20 g kg?¹. These findings support the use of DBSFPM as a functional dietary ingredient for improving early-stage aquaculture performance in swamp eels.
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