Effects of dietary protein to lipid ratio and insect meal on growth performance, feed utilization, and the gut microbiome of lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis)

Wild stocks of lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) are declining in the Great Lakes and there is a lack of information to effectively culture them in an aquaculture setting. The aim of this study was to evaluate the growth performance, nutrient utilization, and gut microbiome of lake whitefish. Lake whitefish (301g) were fed one of five diets with differing protein to lipid ratios (high protein 54%, low protein 48%, high lipid 18%, or low lipid 12%), and an additional commercial control trout diet (BCC). High protein diets included 5% black solider fly (BSF) meal, to explore its potential to replace fishmeal instead of using more in the diet. Fish were fed for 16 weeks at 8.5C and then analyzed for growth performance, nutrient digestibility and the gut microbiome using 16S rRNA gene sequencing on the Illumina MiSeq platform.