Success in soy-based ingredients towards fishmeal replacement in cultured largemouth bass

Authors: SEMLA, JAMISON - Auburn University; OLADIPUPO, ABDUL - Auburn University; BUTTS, IAN - Auburn University; DAVIS, D - Auburn University; Lafrentz, Benjamin; BRUCE, TIMOTHY - Auburn University

Submitted to: Fish Farming News
Publication Type: Popular Publication
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/27/2025
Publication Date: 6/30/2025
Citation: Semla, J.L., Oladipupo, A.A., Butts, I.A., Davis, D.A., Lafrentz, B.R., Bruce, T.J. 2025. Success in soy-based ingredients towards fishmeal replacement in cultured largemouth bass. Fish Farming News. 2025(1):7-8.

Interpretive Summary: The largemouth bass when cultured as a food fish has a high market value of approximately $7.00/lb. Currently, the aquaculture industry is moving towards replacing fishmeal (FM) in diets with more sustainable protein sources such as soybean meal (SBM) to alleviate overfishing and reduce the associated costs of feed formulation. Success with soy-based protein formulations has been observed in many cultured species, such as trout, hybrid striped bass, tilapia, red drum, burbot, amberjack, catfish, and largemouth bass. The potential benefits of using soy-based diets in largemouth bass production are significant. These diets can reduce the industry's reliance on marine resources, lower production costs, and increase profit margins. Therefore, This research is crucial in promoting sustainable efforts by using soy-based diets in largemouth bass production. A recent project investigated the growth and health status of largemouth bass fingerlings when cultured with formulated diets that used several soy-based ingredients to replace FM. Largemouth bass fingerlings were stocked in tanks within an indoor recirculating aquaculture system and fed a formulated diet with either a conventional SBM, enzyme-treated SBM, or a soy protein concentrate replacing FM. After a 14-week culture period, comparable data in growth metrics such as percent weight gain (%) and feed conversion ratio were observed in largemouth bass feed the soy-based diets in comparison to the largemouth bass fed a basal diet. The distal intestine of fish was evaluated, and the soy ingredients did not induce any inflammation. This project demonstrates success in FM replacement with soy-based ingredients towards the culture production of largemouth bass. This will lead to a more sustainable industry that relies more on renewable resources and reduces the cost of feed production, resulting in higher profit margins in the market. The implications of these findings are significant for the aquaculture industry, as they provide a viable and sustainable alternative protein source, reducing the industry's reliance on marine resources and potentially lowering production costs.

Technical Abstract: No technical abstract