Cultivating Flesh Fly Larvae as a Sustainable Feed Source for the Ornamental Fish (Carassius auratus)

Background: Providing ornamental fish (Carassius auratus), with nutritious and sustainable food sources is an increasingly important part of that process. Flesh flies (Sarcophaga spp.) have a high content of nutrient in their larval stage, which make their bodies grow quickly during their larval phase. Methods: The nutrient composition of Sarcophaga larvae and their effect as a feeding source on C. auratus growth during the process were studied. In a laboratory, Sarcophaga larvae were cultured on shrimp shells and C. auratus fed on Sarcophaga larvae were compared to C. auratus fed on commercial food. Result: Crude protein content of 52.5% was remarkably high, followed by crude lipid (30.2%), crude fibers (9.8%) and finally crude ash (7.5%). Our results showed also a significant improvement in growth performance of C. auratus fed on Sarcophaga larvae, with a median weight of 25.3 g compared with the control group (17.3 g) by the fourth week, indicating significant advantages for C. auratus fed on Sarcophaga larvae. In this study, Sarcophaga larvae are examined as a sustainable and nutritious source of food for C. auratus fish. Using insect larvae for aquaculture should be further refined and evaluated for long-term benefits and safety.