Abstract

In this study, red blood cell parameters of Barbus balcanicus Kotlik, Tsigenopulos, Rab, Berrebi, 2002 subjected to acute thermal stress were investigated. Fish were caught by electro fishing in the Suturlija river, a small tributary of the river Vrbas (N latitude 44Ëš44' 38˝, E longitude 17Ëš 09' 10˝) in summer (July) and transported to the laboratory. Fish were randomly distributed in four aquaria of 30 L each. In all the four aquaria, the water temperature was continuously kept at 19°C by appropriate devices. After period of adaptation (three weeks), half of the fish (24) were used as a control group while the other 24 were subjected to thermal stress by raising the water temperature to 29°C (10°C increase) in 60 min. In both control and thermally treated, fish blood was collected by heart puncture according to “Animal welfare act“. Analyses were performed with native blood, without addition of any anticoagulant and the values of red blood cell count (RBC), haemoglobin concentration, packed cell volume (PCV), Corpuscular Volume (MCV), Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin (MCH) and Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin Concentration (MCHC) were determined. In the thermally treated fish, the values of PCV and MCV increased (p = 0.0003 and p = 0.0147 respectively), and those of MCHC decreased substantially (p = 0.0001)

Key words: Haematology, temperature, Barbus balcanicus.