The aquafeed industry continues to expand in response to the rapidly growing aquaculture sector. However, the identification of alternative protein sources in aquatic animal diets to replace conventional sources due to cost and sustainability issues remains a major challenge. Recently, insects have shown tremendous results as potential replacers of fishmeal in aquafeed. The present study aimed to review the utilization of insects in aquafeeds and their effects on aquatic animals' growth and feed utilization, immune response and disease resistance, and fish flesh quality and safety. While many insect species have been investigated in aquaculture, the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens), and the mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) are the most studied and most promising insects to replace fishmeal in aquafeed. Generally, insect rearing conditions and biomass processing methods may affect the product's nutritional composition, digestibility, shelf life and required insect inclusion level by aquatic animals. Also, insect-recommended inclusion levels for aquatic animals vary depending on the insect species used, biomass processing method, and test organism. Overall, while an appropriate inclusion level of insects in aquafeed provides several nutritional and health benefits to aquatic animals, more studies are needed to establish optimum requirements levels for different aquaculture species at different stages of development and under different culture systems.

Fish holes called “whédos” are excavations performed near water bodies or in the flood plains of Beninese rivers in Africa for rearing fish. During floods, they are filled and naturally colonized by various fish that remain trapped during recessions. This literature review examines fishing, aquaculture, and fish reared in traditional holes in Benin. It reports on cartography, characterization, socioeconomic aspects, challenges, and status of improvement, and proposes prospects for improving this system. Peer reviews and gray literature were used to conduct the analysis. Our review highlights 19 papers reporting on 17 whédos aquaculture experiences based on the exclusion or inclusion criteria. These results indicate that many genera can be reared in whédos, suggesting that whédos offer the possibility of going beyond the production of Clarias and Tilapia in Africa. Furthermore, the exploitation of the whédos system is fairly profitable for fishermen and their households, at approximately US$ 1713 per household annually, used to finance agricultural activities, children’s education, schooling, mitigating farmers’ vulnerability to climate risks, and health care. However, in the past two decades, there has been a significant decline in the quantity of fish collected owing to the adverse effects of hydroclimatic changes, such as floods and prolonged droughts. Moreover, water eutrophication or pollution, the risk of climate change, and fishing methods have affected crop yield over the years. The implementation of Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture or Integration Agriculture-Aquaculture in whédos systems can be an effective solution for improving profitability and sustainability. The knowledge gained from this review perspective should be helpful in directing future initiatives to grow and sustain this sector of the economy and to optimize its potential to provide food for future generations.

The aquaculture industry plays a crucial role in global food production and is expected to expand in response to the increasing demand for aquatic products. To sustain this growth, aquaculturists must develop new strategies and improve existing practices to address various challenges. In Africa, the sustainable development of aquaculture could be achieved not only by intensifying and integrating breeding techniques for species like Tilapia and Catfish but also by developing and domesticating other promising species with high aquaculture potential. Identifying and understanding these species is vital for overcoming these challenges. Heterotis niloticus is one such valuable species for aquaculture in Africa, offering several advantages including its air‐breathing capability, high market value, excellent meat quality, omnivorous diet, resilience to stress, ability to survive in low‐oxygen water, and consumer acceptance. In captivity, it has shown significant growth, with individual mean body mass reaching 3 to 5 kg in 12 months. These findings highlight the potential of Heterotis niloticus to enhance aquaculture production, not only in Africa but also globally. However, challenges remain, such as high mortality during early life stages, the determination of its nutritional needs at various ontogenetic stages, and the development of efficient breeding practices. Further research is required in areas like nutrition, physiology, breeding technology, genetics, economics, and environmental impact to optimize the culture of this species.