Comparative morphological characterization of peripheral blood cells in Sander
lucioperca and cyprinus carpio
The cytochemical and morphological characterization of blood cells is essential not
only for better understanding of their health status as well as provide important
information about phylogenetic differences between species and thier habit and
habitates. Nearly in all fish species the cellular components of blood include red
blood cells (RBC) and white blood cells (WBC). However, morphological studies reveal
considerable variations in the structure and function of the blood cells between
different fish species. RBCs show different sizes and shapes in the different classes of
vertebrates which is sometimes huge within non-mammalian RBCs due to the
nucleus. Fish RBCs are generally oval in shape with an oval to rounded nucleus. WBCs
involved in innate immune system have been classified using criteria that primarily
apply to mammalian. Moreover several studies have suggested that many fish WBCs
show morphological resemblance and functional similarities with mammalian cells. In
spite of recent interest in the immune system of fish species regarding the
importance for aquaculture purposes, relatively little attention has been paid to the
structural features of fish WBCs.
In the present study, three fish of each species will be transferred to laboratory. After
acclimation to laboratory conditions, blood will be collected from caudal vein with a
heparinized syringe. Six blood smear per fish will be prepared, air-dried, fix in absolut
methanol then stain with Giemsa and observed under a light microscope. From each
slide different types of blood cells will be identified and length and breadth of cells
and nucleus will be measured using a imaging software. The results will be compared
using a statistical package.