The effect of dietary inclusion of Jatropha curcas on the growth performance of African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus) was evaluated. Juveniles of Clarias gariepinus 225 in numbers were acclimatized for a week, weighed and allotted into five dietary treatments where soybean meal was replaced by cooked Jatropha curcas seed meal at 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100%. The diets (40% crude protein and 12% crude lipid) were isonitrogenous and isolipidic. Each treatment was replicated three times with fifteen fish per replicate. Fish were fed 5% body weight on two equal proportions per day for 56 days. Growth data were collected on two-week interval basis. Growth performance was evaluated using weight gain (g); specific growth rate (%/day); feed conversion ratio (FCR) and protein efficiency ratio as indices. The results from the study indicated that there was significant difference (p>0.05) in the weight gain, percentage weight gain, and other growth performance parameters among the fish exposed to different dietary treatments. Growth of Clarias gariepinus reduced with increasing inclusion of cooked Jatropha curcas.
Key words: Jatropha curcas, Feed Ingredients, Clarias gariepinus, Protein Source
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