Changes in Blood Parameters of Tilapia Guineensis Exposed to Different Salinity Levels

Abstract

The effects of different salinity levels on some blood parameters of Tilapia guineensis were tested. Adult and juvenile sizes were sampled from the wild of salinity 15‰ and transferred to the laboratory where they were exposed to different salinities level of 15‰, 10‰, 5‰, 0‰ for a period of 7 days. The exposure result in significant reduction (P < 0.05) in the values of haemoglobin (Hb), Red blood cell (RBC), Packed Cell Volume (PCV), Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin Concentration (MCHC), Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV), Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin (MCH), and Thrombocytes (THMB); while the mean values of White Blood Cell (WBC), Erythrocyte sedimentation Rate (EST), Neutrophils (NEUT), Lymphocytes (LYMPH) and Monocytes (MON) increased significantly (P <0.05). These alterations were more pronounced in the adult than the juvenile fish. The results from this study, therefore suggest that variation in the salinity levels of the environment may impact negatively on the physiological and metabolic activities of T. guineensis as revealed in the changes observed in these blood parameters.