Feeding Colossoma macropomum with black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae in floating cages in the Peruvian Amazon

Murrieta Morey G.A.; Satalaya Arellano H.; Rodríguez Chu L.A.; Vásquez Bardales J.; Rios Isern E.; Tuesta Rojas C.A.; Nájar Reátegui J.; Carvalho Viana D. · Archivos de Zootecnia (2026) · DOI: 10.21071/az.v1i1.5816

Resumen

This study was carried out at the “Centro de Investigaciones Fernando Alcántara Bocanegra” (CIFAB) of the “Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana” (IIAP) to determine the variation in the growth of Colossoma macropomum “gamitana” fed with larvae of Hermetia illucens black soldier fly (BSFL), termites and conventional balanced feed. A total of 180 C. macropomum of 3-4 cm initial size and weighing 1.5 to 2 g were used. Sixty fish per treatment were used, distributed in 9 floating cages, 20 fish in each cage. The floating cages were installed inside a fish pond from IIAP. Treatments (T) consisted of T1: fish fed with BSFL, T2: fish fed with termites, and T3: fish fed with balanced feed. BSF larvae were obtained using orange waste for their production. Termites were collected from natural environments and balanced feed was purchased from a trading company in Iquitos, Peru. The results of the study showed that fish fed with balanced feed gained more size and weight than fish fed with BSFL and termites; however, fish fed with BSFL showed adequate and better zootechnical indices than fish fed with termites, with small differences between the values reported for fish fed with balanced feed. It is concluded that fish fed with BSFL show adequate growth and weight gain, with better zootechnical indices values than fish fed with termites.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana; Universidad Científica del Perú