Influence of Replacing Fishmeal with the Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) Meal Supplemented with Ginger (Zingiber officinale) in the Diet on Some Zootechnical Characteristics of Pre-adults of the African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus Burchell, 1822) in Western Cameroon

The fast growing of the aquaculture sector increases the need for natural feed substances such as insects. The present study was carried out to address the effects of replacing fish meal with black soldier fly larvae meal (BSF) supplemented with ginger powder (GP) in feed on the survival, growth performance, and muscle composition of the African catfish pre-adults. A total of 945 fish were randomly divided into 7 groups of 60 Clarias gariepinus (156±15g/fish) with 3 replications, and placed in 21 plastic tanks with a capacity of 0.6m³. Seven isonitrogenous diets were formulated. Three treatments represented the group of individuals fed with diets substituted at 70%, 85%, 100% BSF, respectively, while the other three treatments followed the same levels of substitutions but with the addition of 1% GP, and the last treatment represented the control experiment with 100% fish meal. At the end of the trial, three individuals (850±50g/fish) were randomly selected per treatment and were used for the bromatological analysis. The results show that the survival rate was comparable in all treatments (P>0.05), and the fish fed with 100%BSF + 1%GP exhibited the best survival rate. The growth and nutrient utilization characteristics were not significantly influenced whatever the treatment, with the exception of the consumption index, which was higher in fish fed with 100%BSF+ 1%GP during the growth stage. The evolution of weight gain was generally comparable during the experiment (P>0.05). The condition factor K was close to 1, implying the good health of the fish during breeding. The bromatological characteristics of the flesh indicate that the fish fed with 100%BSF+ 1%GP were comparable with the control and possessed a good nutritional value without negatively affecting the nutritional profile of the fish. Consequently, the replacement of 100% Hermetia illucens supplemented with 1% Zingiber officinale is recommended for the growth of Clarias gariepinus pre-adults