Assessment of alternative protein sources as fishmeal replacements on the growth performance of juvenile Tor tambroides (BLEEKER 1854)

Declining fishmeal availability has prompted research into alternative protein sources for aquaculture feed. A five-month study evaluated the impact of replacing fishmeal with soybean meal, black soldier fly larvae meal, and poultry by product meal on juvenile Malaysian mahseer. Fish fed the soybean meal diet achieved the highest body weight gain, while the black soldier fly larvae group showed the highest specific growth rate, though growth differences across diets were not statistically significant. Soybean meal produced a significantly higher protein efficiency ratio than the control diet, whereas feed conversion ratios remained comparable across all treatments. These results indicate that soybean meal and black soldier fly larvae meal are effective, viable alternatives to traditional fishmeal for young mahseer diets.