Comparative analysis of growth models for rainbow trout fed varying levels of fish meal replacement by black soldier fly meal

Black soldier fly (BSF), Hermetia illucens, is a promising protein source for aquafeeds, an alternative to fish meal. In this study, the Gompertz model, the Logistic model, and the von Bertalanffy model have been applied to determine the best diet to predict growth by time during the early life stage of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fed with diets containing different levels of BSF meal. Fish were fed with a basal diet (B0) and four experimental diets with different fish meal replacement rates with BSF meal (B25, B50, B75, and B100) for 90 days, with growth evaluated at a 15-days interval. The unknown parameters, A, b, T and T0 in the Gompertz model, the Logistic model, and the von Bertalanffy model have been calculated using a nonlinear least squares model with a trust region algorithm. In all models, the fish fed with B25 were predicted to reach a greater weight at the end of 210 days, while the fish fed with B100 would have less growth. More growth data would be needed to predict the growth over a longer period of time.

Journal

JOURNAL OF INSECTS AS FOOD AND FEED

Year

2025

Volume

11

Issue

12

Pages

2175-2193

eISSN

2352-4588

DOI

10.1163/23524588-BJA10194

WoS UID

WOS:001572941000009