Cricket Protein in Shrimp Feed: What the Research Shows

As the aquaculture industry faces growing pressure to reduce its dependence on wild-caught fish meal — constrained by supply, price volatility, and sustainability concerns — insect protein is gaining serious attention as a partial replacement ingredient. Among insect protein sources, cricket meal has been the subject of a growing body of feeding trial research in shrimp aquaculture. This article reviews three peer-reviewed studies examining cricket protein in whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) feed, summarises what the evidence shows, and explains what it means for formulators evaluating cricket protein powder as an ingredient in commercial shrimp diets.

Why the Aquaculture Sector Needs Fish Meal Alternatives

Fish meal has been the benchmark protein ingredient in aquaculture feed for decades — prized for its high digestibility, complete amino acid profile, and palatability. But the global fish meal supply is constrained. Wild-caught pelagic fish stocks are under increasing pressure, production volumes are volatile year to year, and prices have risen significantly as demand from the aquaculture sector continues to grow faster than supply. For whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) — the world's most commercially important shrimp species — this supply tension is particularly acute. Shrimp feed typically includes fish meal as a primary or secondary protein source, and formulators are actively evaluating sustainable, high-quality alternatives that can replace a meaningful portion of fish meal inclusion without compromising growth rate, feed conversion, or survival. Cricket protein enters this conversation as a technically plausible alternative: it delivers high crude protein content (up to 74%), a complete essential amino acid profile, and a digestibility profile comparable to fish meal — along with a significantly smaller environmental footprint. The question is what the feeding trial evidence actually shows in shrimp.

Three Studies on Cricket Protein in Shrimp Feed — At a Glance

The following three peer-reviewed studies represent the current published evidence base for cricket meal in whiteleg shrimp diets. They vary in the cricket species used, the form of the ingredient, and the inclusion levels tested — all of which matter when interpreting the results for practical formulation decisions.

Study	Cricket Species / Form	Inclusion Tested	Key Finding
Peh, Shapawi & Lim (2021) Iranian Journal of Fisheries Sciences	Gryllus bimaculatus (black cricket) meal — whole meal	0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50% of diet (replacing fish protein)	Up to 50% fish protein replacement showed comparable weight gain, survival (88.3%) and FCR (1.83)
Shin & Lee (2021) PLOS ONE	Two-spotted cricket + 6 other insect species	10% replacement of tuna byproduct meal over 65 days	Cricket protein digestibility: 83–89% protein, 76–96% amino acids. Confirms strong bioavailability.
Mauro-Félix et al. (2025) Aquaculture International	Acheta domesticus — whole meal AND acid silage	Partial to full replacement of fish meal and fish oil	Acid silage improved dry-matter digestibility (>70%). At higher inclusion, shrimp performance declined. Chitin >25% flagged as a formulation consideration.

Sources: Peh, Shapawi & Lim (2021), DOI: 10.22092/ijfs.2021.124045 | Shin & Lee (2021), DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260305 | Mauro-Félix et al. (2025), DOI: 10.1007/s10499-024-01777-w

Study 1: Black Cricket Meal as a Fish Protein Replacement in Juvenile Shrimp

What the Study Did

Peh, Shapawi and Lim (2021) tested Gryllus bimaculatus (black cricket) meal as a replacement for fish-derived protein in juvenile whiteleg shrimp diets. Shrimp averaging 0.73g were fed diets containing 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50% cricket meal inclusion over 40 days. The study was published in the Iranian Journal of Fisheries Sciences.

What It Found

All groups receiving cricket meal showed comparable or better weight gain and feed utilisation than the control group. The group with 50% inclusion (BCM50) achieved a weight gain of 1,124.6%, a specific growth rate of 2.71%/day, survival of 88.3%, and an FCR of 1.83. The authors concluded that black cricket meal could replace up to 50% of fish-derived protein in juvenile whiteleg shrimp diets without negatively affecting growth or survival. One important note for aquaculture formulators: this study used Gryllus bimaculatus, not Acheta domesticus. While both are commercially farmed cricket species with broadly similar nutritional profiles, results may not be directly transferable between species or between whole meal and processed powder formats without independent validation.

Study 2: Protein Digestibility of Cricket Meal in Pacific White Shrimp

What the Study Did

Shin and Lee (2021) evaluated the apparent digestibility of seven insect meal species — including two-spotted cricket — in Pacific white shrimp. A feeding trial replaced 10% of tuna byproduct meal with each insect ingredient over 65 days. The study was published in PLOS ONE and provides the most granular digestibility data currently available for insect proteins in shrimp.

Digestibility Findings for Cricket Protein

Nutrient / Component	Apparent Digestibility in Shrimp
Protein	83–89%
Lipid	91–98%
Energy	84–90%
Amino acids (incl. lysine and methionine)	76–96% — high availability

Source: Shin & Lee (2021), PLOS ONE, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260305. Values reflect insect meals across the study including two-spotted cricket; ranges reflect variability across insect species and amino acids tested.

These digestibility figures confirm that shrimp can utilise cricket protein efficiently across all major nutrient fractions. Lysine and methionine — two essential amino acids critical in aquaculture feed formulation — showed high availability, which is particularly relevant for shrimp at early growth stages. One caveat to be clear about: while this study confirms strong digestibility for cricket protein, the most pronounced growth improvements in this specific study came from other insect species, not cricket. This study should be referenced for digestibility evidence, not as a direct growth performance claim for cricket specifically.

Study 3: Acheta Domesticus Meal, Acid Silage, and the Chitin Consideration

What the Study Did

Mauro-Félix et al. (2025) is the most directly applicable of the three studies for Protanica, as it tested Acheta domesticus specifically — the same species used in Protanica's cricket protein powder. The study compared two forms of the ingredient: whole Acheta domesticus meal and acid cricket silage, evaluated as substitutes for both fish meal and fish oil in whiteleg shrimp diets. Published in Aquaculture International by Springer Nature.

What It Found — and Why Chitin Matters

The acid silage form of cricket showed improved dry-matter digestibility compared to whole meal, with overall digestibility above 70%. This suggests that ingredient processing method significantly affects how well shrimp can utilise cricket protein — an important finding for formulators. However, the study also found that as fish meal replacement levels increased, shrimp performance declined. Importantly, the researchers identified chitin content in the whole cricket meal at above 25% as a key variable — noting that high chitin levels may limit nutrient digestibility at elevated inclusion rates. They recommend either reducing chitin content or incorporating chitinase enzyme supplementation before commercial scale-up. This finding is directly relevant to how Protanica's product differs from the whole meal used in this study. Protanica's cricket protein powder is produced through natural thermal drying and mechanical milling — a processing method that concentrates protein and modifies the physical structure of the ingredient significantly compared to whole meal grinding. Critically, confirmed laboratory analysis of Protanica's cricket protein powder shows a chitin content of 9.2% — less than one-third of the >25% chitin level identified as a limiting factor in the Mauro-Félix et al. study. This substantially lower chitin level, achieved through processing, positions Protanica's powder as a more formulation-ready ingredient than whole cricket meal for aquaculture applications where chitin management is a concern.

What This Research Means for Aquaculture Formulators

Taken together, these three studies paint a consistent picture: cricket protein is a digestible, nutritionally credible protein ingredient for whiteleg shrimp, with a growing evidence base supporting partial fish meal replacement. The evidence does not yet support full fish meal replacement, and chitin management is an important variable at higher inclusion rates. The practical implications for formulators are:

Protein digestibility of 83–89% in shrimp is confirmed across multiple studies — placing cricket protein in the same digestibility tier as fish meal Lysine and methionine availability are both high — two critical amino acids for shrimp growth stages that are often limiting in plant-based alternative proteins Partial fish meal replacement of up to 50% has been demonstrated without significant growth or survival impact (in black cricket meal studies) Ingredient processing form matters significantly — processed powder and acid silage show different digestibility profiles than whole meal Chitin content should be verified per batch when formulating at higher inclusion rates — request CoA with chitin-specific data from your supplier Independent in-house feeding trials are recommended before commercial scale-up with any new protein ingredient

The aquaculture evidence base for cricket protein is building — not conclusive, but directionally strong. The digestibility data is consistent across studies. The growth data at moderate inclusion rates is encouraging. And the chitin question, now clearly identified in the literature, is one that processed cricket protein powder directly addresses through concentration and structural modification during milling.

References

1. Peh, W.Y., Shapawi, R., & Lim, L.S. (2021). Black cricket (Gryllus bimaculatus) meal as a protein source in the practical diets for juvenile whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). Iranian Journal of Fisheries Sciences. DOI: 10.22092/ijfs.2021.124045 2. Shin, N., & Lee, K.J. (2021). Digestibility of insect meals for Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) and their performance for growth, feed utilization and immune responses. PLOS ONE. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260305 3. Mauro-Félix, D., et al. (2025). Effect of cricket meal and acid cricket silage from Acheta domesticus in diets and as a substitute for fish meal and fish oil on the productive performance of Litopenaeus vannamei. Aquaculture International. DOI: 10.1007/s10499-024-01777-w

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