The growth performance and feed utilization efficiency of juvenile Clarias gariepinus fed heat processed and dehulled Jatropha curcas kernel meal (JCKM) was investigated using 150 pieces of fish with an average weight of 8.9g which were randomly distributed into five experimental diets in replicates of ten (10) fish per tank for 42days. The processed JCKM used were: Sand roasted, Autoclaved, Boiled and Raw defatted meal in replacement of Soya-bean meal at 33.33% per diet. The diets were fed to C. gariepinus of juvenile at 5% body weight. The highest growth performance (170.07±11.12) and feed utilization efficiency (1.36±0.06) was recorded for fish fed with diet of no JCKM replacement followed by sand roasted JCKM based diet(45.03±10.30, 0.42±0.11). There was no significant difference between the two diets at p>0.05. The low fed utilization efficiency observed in fish fed boiled(0.05±0.03), autoclaved(-0.1±0.05) and raw defatted (0.04±0.03) JCKM leads to decrease in growth performance which can be due to high concentration of anti-nutritional factors such as Phorbol esters, Saponins and Curcin. Therefore, JCKM can be used to replace Soya beans at low quantity in the diet of freshwater fish when Sand-roasted.
Keywords: Clarias Gariepinus, Feed Utilization, Growth, Jatropha Curcas
