Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas converts invasive devil fish into animal feed

Students from the Multidisciplinary Academic Unit in Mante (UAM Mante) of the Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas (UAT) developed an agro‑innovation that turns the invasive devil fish (pez diablo) into high‑nutritional blocks for livestock and a wet feed for cats. The project, overseen by rector Dámaso Anaya Alvarado and advisor Dr. Alejandro Trujillo Jiménez, addresses an ecological and economic crisis affecting artisanal fishermen in El Mante, where the fish has displaced native species and reduced incomes.

The researchers collected the fish, cooked it to preserve nutrients, mixed fillets with carrot and chayote for cat food, and processed the remainder into a flour blended with melaza, minerals and corn to form solid blocks for sheep. Experimental trials showed the sheep gained 10 kg in ten days, far surpassing the 3.5 kg gain on a regular diet, while the cat feed was immediately accepted. The work earned third place in the Agroindustry and Food category at the 2026 Feria de Ciencias e Ingenierías de Tamaulipas (FECIT).