European perch (Perca fluviatilis) fed dietary insect meal (Tenebrio molitor): From a stable isotope perspective

2021

Abstract Stable isotope analysis was conducted to investigate stable isotope ratios of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N), diet-tissue discrimination factors of carbon (Δ13C) and nitrogen (Δ15Ν). Bayesian mixing models were performed to assess relative contribution of insect meal and other ingredients to the development of tissues of European perch (Perca fluviatilis). Accordingly, four experimental formulations, characterized by the increasing inclusion levels of yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) larvae meal (TM) at 0, 6.8, 13.5 and 20.3% as replacement for fishmeal at 0 (TM0), 25 (TM25), 50 (TM50) and 75% (TM75), respectively, were fed to juvenile perch (initial bodyweight, 20.81 ± 3.36 g…