Utilization of fermented silkworm pupae silage in feed for carps

Fermented silkworm pupae (SWP) silage or untreated fresh SWP pastes were incorporated in carp feed formulations replacing fishmeal. The feed formulations were isonitrogenous (30.2-30.9% protein) and isocaloric (ME = 2905-2935 kcal/kg). Feeding under a polyculture system consisting of 30% each of catla (Catla catla), mrigal (Cirrhinus mrigala) and rohu (Labeo rohita) with 10% silver carps (Hypophthalmychthys molitrix) was carried out in ponds to evaluate the nutritive quality of SWP silage. Survival rate, feed conversion ratio and specific growth rate, respectively, were 84.2%, 2.10 and 2.39 for fermented SWP silage, 65.8%, 2.98 and 2.26 for untreated SWP and 67.5%, 3.16 and 2.20 for fishmeal indicating clearly that the fermented SWP silage was nutritionally superior to untreated SWP or fishmeal. The dietary influence on the proximate composition of whole fish was marginal.