Excessive level of dietary insect protein negatively changed growth metabolomic and transcriptomic profiles of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)

(HI) meal is a promising substitute for fish meal (FM) in the feeds of farmed fish. However, the impacts of dietary HI meal on largemouth bass (LMB) remain unknown. In this study, we formulated three isonitrogenous and isolipid diets with 0% (HI0, control), 20% (HI20) and 40% (HI40) of FM substituted by HI meal. A total of 270 juvenile largemouth bass with an initial body weight of 10.02 ± 0.03 g were used (30 fish per tank). After an 80-day feeding trial, the fish fed with the HI40 diet demonstrated decreased growth performance and protein efficiency ratio (PER), and increased liver oxidative indices and lipid accumulation compared to the control (