Proximate Composition and Mineral Content of Grasshoppermeal as an Alternative to Fishmeal for Fish Feed Production

The purpose of this study is to determine the proximate composition and mineral content of grasshopper meal as an alternative feedstuff of animal source to substitute fishmeal in the production of fish feed. Grasshoppers were gotten from the market irrespective of size, they were de-winged and processed into powder. The biochemical content (proximate composition and mineral content) were analyzed. The proximate composition of edible grasshopper meal was assessed using A.O.A.C standard. The result obtained were 64.51%, 5.1%, 94.9%, 1.0%, 5.49%, 17.0% and 12% for crude protein content, moisture content, dry matter, ash, nitrogen free extract, crude fibre and ether extract respectively. The essential mineral content of grasshopper meal was also assessed and the result obtained were 0.55%, 0.12%, 0.1%, and 0.73% for calcium, phosphorus, sodium and potassium respective. The quality of nutrients and mineral composition of grasshopper meal makes it a good dietary supplement for fish and could be used in fish feed production.