A study of three feeding trials was conducted to investigate the dietary protein requirements of Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) at three different growth stages. Six experimental diets were formulated to include increasing protein levels of 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, and 50% (designated as P25, P30, P35, P40, P45, and P50, respectively) for three feeding trials. The three feeding trials were conducted in different-sized shrimp at 0.65 g (trial 1), 4.80 g (trial 2), and 10.5 g (trial 3). Triplicate groups of shrimp were fed one of the experimental diets for 36, 42, and 48 days in trials 1, 2, and 3, respectively. In trial 1, the growth performance was not affected by the dietary protein levels. However, protein efficiency ratio was significantly higher in P30 diet compared to P40, P45, and P50 diets. In trial 2, growth rate was significantly higher in P35 diet than in P25 diet. In trial 3, the lowest growth performance was obtained in P25 diet which significantly differed from that of other experimental diets. Broken line analysis of growth data indicates that the optimal dietary level of crude protein is 34.5, 35.6, and 32.2% for small-, medium-, and large-sized (juvenile, sub-adult, and adult stages) Pacific white shrimp, respectively.

This study was conducted to examine digestibility of insect meals for Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) and their utilization as fish meal substitutes. The tested insect meals were mealworm, silkworm, black soldier fly, rice grasshopper, two-spotted cricket, dynastid beetle and white-spotted flower chafer. Apparent digestibility coefficients of the tested insect meals were 83–89% for protein, 91–98% for lipid, 84–90% for energy, 77–81% for dry matter, 28–36% for chitin, 76–96% for amino acids and 89–93% for fatty acids. The amino acid availability of insect meals was high in taurine (93–96%), arginine (91–95%) and lysine (90–95%). Availability of fatty acids were 89–93% for saturated fatty acids, 90–93% for monounsaturated fatty acids and 88–93% for polyunsaturated fatty acids. For a feeding trial, a control diet was formulated using 27% tuna byproduct meal as a fish meal source and seven other diets were prepared replacing 10% tuna byproduct meal in the control diet with each insect meal. Triplicate groups of shrimp (initial body weight: 0.17 g) were fed the diets for 65 days. The growth performance was significantly improved when the shrimp were fed black soldier fly or dynastid beetle included diet. Dietary supplementation of insect meals significantly improved non-specific immune responses and antioxidant enzyme activity in the shrimp. These results indicate that the tested insect meals have high potentials to be used as a protein source that could replace fish meal in diets for the shrimp.