Juvenile yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi) were fed four experimental diets containing 0, 10, 20 or 30% solvent extracted soybean meal (SBM) for 34 days, The effects of diet and water temperature on growth, feed efficiency, nutrient retention, apparent nutrient digestibility and digestive functions were determined. Substitution of fish meal up to 20% with SBM in iso-nitrogenous, iso-caloric diets did not significantly affect the growth of fish. No differences were detected in any of the other parameters measured between 0 and 10% inclusion. However, further increasing SBM had a negative effect on growth performance, feed efficiency, nutrient retention and the apparent nutrient and energy digestibility of diets for yellowtail kingfish. The apparent nutrient and energy digestibilities all decreased linearly with increasing SBM. This study demonstrates that 10% inclusion of SBM (21.7% fish meal substitution) can be used as a substitute for fish meal in diets for yellowtail kingfish.