Author(s): Gyanendra Bahadur Chand, Khushbu Kumari and Aakanchha

Abstract: The genus Clarias (Family: Clariidae; order: Siluriformes) incorporates air breathing Clariid catfishes, having ability to survive out of water for longer duration. Clarias batrachus (Linnaeus, 1758) ^[24], commonly called as ‘Magur’, is an endogenous species of India and is very popular in Asiatic countries because of its taste and medicinal properties. Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822), an African catfish commonly called as ‘Thai magur, is deadly carnivorous exotic species introduced to India through various trade means. This exotic species has undergone tremendous adaptation to the physicochemical condition of the aquatic bodies of Bihar, India, resulting in a considerable decline of the native species C. batrachus from the local fish market. The aim of the present study was to investigate and establish reference ranges by comparing haematological indices of two closely allied fresh water air breathing species of family Clariidae i.e. C. batrachus and C. gariepinus from the wetland of North Bihar. In the present study hematological indices like red blood corpuscles (RBC), total and differential white blood corpuscles (WBC), hematocrit (Ht), haemoglobin (Hb), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) were measured in the blood samples of both the fish species using standard methods. The values were determined as mean ± SEM for thirty (n=30) replicates in each parameter. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the haematological findings between and within these two species of catfishes. Most of the haematological parameters differ non-significantly (p <0.05) between C. batrachus and C. gariepinus except haemoglobin and leucocytes, which showed highly significant differences. The findings of the present study will give an insight of the actual reference range of various haematological parameters and interspecific variations between these two species with regard to the blood profile. Furthermore, these indices will provide reliable information on the metabolic disorders, deficiencies and chronic stress status of the fishes before they become apparent in a clinical setting. It will definitely help in raising the status of aquaculture in state of Bihar.

DOI: 10.22271/fish.2021.v9.i1b.2395

Pages: 135-141  |  1252 Views  621 Downloads

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