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Harnessing black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae meal for crustacean feed: A review of advances, challenges and future trends Cover

Harnessing black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae meal for crustacean feed: A review of advances, challenges and future trends

Annals of Animal Science
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By: ,  ,  ,   and    
Open Access
|Jun 2026
Figures & tables

Figures & Tables

Figure 1.

Overall illustration of black soldier fly larvae meal in crustacean aquaculture

Black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae meal as potential feed ingredient for crustacean aquaculture

S.NoInclusion levelLevel of replacementDuration of the study (days)Growth performanceSurvival rateBody biochemical parametersImmune responseBlood parametersDigestibility/Nutrient utilizationReferences
Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)
10, 5, 10, 20 and 30%50%84↑ Weight gain (5%)n.d.↑ Fillet lipid content (20%)Inhibition of Vibrio parahaemolyticus (20%)No significant change in THC, hemocyanin, serum protein, cholesteroln.d.Yildirim-Aksoy et al., 2022
20, 10, 20 and 30%10–20%49↓ Growth rate (30%)n.d.↓ Lipid content; ↑ CPT, SOD, IDH activities↑ Antioxidant enzymes↓ ACP, ALP, lipase (30%)n.d.Chen et al., 2023 a
30, 1, 1.5, and 2%n.d.42↑ Growth, feed and protein efficiencyNo significant effect↑ Protein retentionn.d.n.d.n.d.Herawati et al., 2024
40, 25, 50, 75 and 100%34.92%56↑ % weight gain (75%)n.d.↑ Lauric acid; lipid-related gene expression↑ Immune-related gene expression↑ ACP, PO, NOSn.d.He et al., 2024
5n.d.n.d.28↓ GrowthNo significant effectn.d.n.d.n.d.↓ Digestibility of protein and dry matterLi et al., 2022
60, 25, 50, 75 and 100%50%45↑ Weight gain (25%)↑ Survival (25%)↑ Hepatosomatic index↑ SOD, GPxn.d.↑ Protease activity (25%)He et al., 2022 a
7n.d.24%n.d.↑ RGR, FCR, protein efficiencyn.d.↑ Amino acid and fatty acid profilen.d.n.d.n.d.Herawati et al., 2023
80, 7, 14, 21, 28 and 36%36%63↓ Weight gain and SGRn.d.↓ Whole-body protein and lipidn.d.n.d.n.d.Cummins et al., 2017
9n.d.n.d.45n.d.↑ Survivaln.d.↑ PO, SOD, immune gene expressionn.d.n.d.Shin et al., 2021
100, 25, 50, 75 and 100%50%45n.d.n.d.↑ Hepatosomatic index↑ SOD, GPxn.d.↑ Protease activity (25%)He et al., 2022 b
110, 25, 50, 75 and 100%26.46%n.d.↑ Growth performancen.d.n.d.n.d.n.d.↑ FCRNunes et al., 2023
120, 10, 20, and 30%75%49n.d.↑ Survival (10%)↓ Intestinal folds (20–30%)↑ AMP genesn.d.n.d.Chen et al., 2021
130, 25, 50, 75 and 100%50%45n.d.n.d.n.d.↑ Gut microbiota diversityn.d.n.d.He et al., 2024
14Exuviae, cocoons, imagon.d.n.d.n.d.n.d.n.d.n.d.n.d.↑ Protein digestibilityFricke et al., 2024
15Multi-insect mealsn.d.65↑ Growth (BSF best)n.d.↑ AA and FA content↑ Antioxidant enzymesn.d.↑ ADCShin et al., 2021
160, 1 and 2%n.d.n.d.↑ Palatabilityn.d.↑ Free AA contentn.d.n.d.n.d.Terrey et al., 2021
170, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100%20%60↓ Flesh protein, collagenn.d↑ PUFA, free AAn.d.n.d.n.d.Zheng et al., 2024
180, 0.5 to 5%50%90↑ Growth and feed efficiency↑ Against V. harveyin.d.↑ THC, lysozymen.d.n.d.Novriadi et al., 2023
190, 20, 40, and 60%n.d.57↑ Growth (40–60%)n.d.n.d.↑ PO, SOD, GPxn.d.n.d.Shin et al., 2020
200, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50%n.d.60↓ Growthn.d.n.d.↑ TRAF6, TOLL1 genesn.d.n.d.Chen et al., 2023 b
210, 7.5, 15 and 22.5%22.5%49No sig. changen.d.↑ Protein contentn.d.n.d.n.d.Fahrur et al., 2021
220, 15, 30, 45, 60 and 80%60%56↓ Growth (80%)n.d.↓ Crude protein↑ TAC (80%)n.d.n.d.Wang et al., 2021
230, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30%30%56↑ Growth and SGR (10–30%)n.d.↑ Calcium (25%)↑ TAC, POD, CAT (20%)n.d.n.d.Hu et al., 2019
240, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100%80%56↑ Growth (80%)↑ Survival (100%)↑ AST, ALT, cholesterol (100%)↓ GPx, SOD (100%)n.d.n.d.Ming et al., 2024
250, 10, 20 and 30%n.d.49↓ Growth (30%)No significant difference↓ Lipid, TAG, cholesterolGene regulation changesn.d.n.d.Chen et al., 2022
260, 2, 5 and 10%5–10%45↑ Weight gain↑ Survival↓ Vibrio spp. count↑ Immune parametersn.d.n.d.Keetanon et al., 2024
270, 4.12, 8.24, 12.36, 16.48 and 20.61%75%56No significant effect (≤20.61%)n.d.↓ Inflammation (>16.48%)↑ Antioxidant capacityn.d.n.d.Chang et al., 2025
28n.d.n.d.83↑ Weight gainn.d.↓ Protein digestibility–n.d.n.d.Candela-Maldonado et al., 2025
290, 5, 10 and 15%n.d.56↑ Growthn.d.↑ Lauric acid↑ PO, LZM, GPx, immune genesn.d.n.d.Ko et al., 2025
300, 25, 50, 75 and 100%n.d.56↑ Growth (100%)↑ Survival↑ Fatty acid content↑ SOD, GPxn.d.n.d.Shin et al., 2025
310, 25, 50 and 100%n.d.70↑ Growth (50%)n.d.n.d.n.d.n.d.↑ Trypsin and lipase (50%)Zamani and Jafari, 2025
Freshwater shrimp (Macrobrachium rosenbergii)
32n.d.n.d.7↑ Growthn.d.n.d.n.d.n.d.n.d.McCallum et al., 2020
330, 3 and 20%n.d.60No negative effectNo significant effect↑ α-tocopherol, carotenoidsNo significant change in immune genes↑ B cellsn.d.Zarantoniello et al., 2023
340, 15, 30 and 45%n.d.35↑ Growth↑ Survivaln.d.n.d.n.d.n.d.Raja Hishamudin, 2020
350, 5, 10 and 15%50%n.d.n.d.n.d.n.d.n.d.n.d.↑ Protein digestibilityHarun et al., 2021
360, 5, 10 and 15%n.d.n.d.n.d.n.d.↑ Protein, lipidn.d.n.d.↑ Protein digestibilityAmiruddin et al., 2021
Freshwater crayfish
370 and 12%n.d.56↑ Growthn.d.n.d.↑ Immune gene expression↑ THC↑ Lactobacillus in gutFoysal et al., 2021
38n.d.n.d.60n.d.n.d.↑ Protein, energy in muscle↑ Immune enzymes↑ THC↑ Bacterial activityFoysal et al., 2019
39n.d.n.d.60↑ Growth↑ Survivaln.d.n.d.n.d.n.d.Koca et al., 2024
400, 50 and 100%n.d.98 days↑ Growth↑ Survival↑ FA (C16:0, C18:1, C18:2)n.d.n.d.n.d.Alvanou et al., 2023
410, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100%40%60 days↑ Growth––n.d.n.d.n.d.Özdoğan et al., 2024
42n.d.n.d.56 days↑ Growthn.d.↑ FA, EPA, DHA↑ SOD, PO, GPxn.d.↑ DigestibilityChu and Huang, 2024
430, 50, 100, 150 and 200 mg/kg AMPn.d.56 days↑ Growth (100–150 mg/kg)↑ Resistance to A. hydrophilan.d.↑ Immune enzymes and gene expressionn.d.↑ Gut microbiotaZhang et al., 2024
440, 7, 14, 21 and 28%17.1%60 days↑ Growth (14%)n.d.↓ MDA (14%)↑ SOD, GPx, CATn.d.n.d.Wang et al., 2022
45n.d.n.d.28 daysNo sig. growthn.d.n.d.n.d.n.d.↓ FCRSubchan et al., 2024
460, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100%34.25%90 days↑ Growth (40%)n.d.↑ Protein (80%)↑ Lysozyme, SODn.d.↑ Nutrient efficiencyHan et al., 2023
Crab
470, 25, 50, 75 and 100%50%56 days↑ Growth (25–50%)↑ Survival 25–50%)n.d.↑ ACP, ALP, LZMn.d.↑ Intestinal foldsYao et al., 2024
480, 6, 12, 18 and 24%n.d.n.d.n.d.n.d.↑ Ovarian lipid metabolismn.d.n.d.n.d.Qiao et al., 2025
490, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50%50%56 days↓ Growth (50%)n.d.n.d.↓ Antioxidant enzymesn.d.n.d.Wang et al., 2024
500, 5, 10 and 15%10%56 days↑ Growth (10%)n.d.↑ Protein, lipid↑ Digestive enzyme activityn.d.n.d.Yang et al., 2023
510, 25, 50 and 75%25–50%28 days↑ Growth (25–50%)n.d.↓ PUFA (75%)n.d.n.d.n.d.Zhang et al., 2023
Lobster
52n.d.15%n.d.n.d.n.d.↑ Body glycogenn.d.n.d.↑ Chitinase activityGoncalves et al., 2024
5325%n.d.56 days↑ Growthn.d.↑ MUFA, SFA, ω9 FAn.d.n.d.n.d.Saputra et al., 2024
540, 25, 35 and 50%n.d.n.d.n.d.n.d.n.d.n.d.n.d.↓ Feed dry matter loss (high salinity)Saputra and Fotedar, 2023
550, 25, 35 and 50%50%56 daysNo sig. effectn.d.n.d.↑ Inflammatory cytokines (35%)n.d.n.d.Saputra and Fotedar, 2024
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/aoas-2025-0126 | Journal eISSN: 2300-8733 | Journal ISSN: 1642-3402
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Language: English
Submitted on: Aug 24, 2025
Accepted on: Oct 30, 2025
Published on: Jun 5, 2026
Published by: National Research Institute of Animal Production
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 4 issues per year
Keywords:
black soldier fly larvae,
crustacean aquaculture,
feed ingredient,
protein source,
nutritional value,
sustainability
Related subjects:
Life sciences,
Biotechnology,
Zoology,
Medicine,
Veterinary medicine

© 2026 Divya Karthick Rajan, Durairaj Karthick Rajan, Nagarajan Revathi, Shubing Zhang, Kannan Mohan, published by National Research Institute of Animal Production
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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