Bighead Carp Aristichthys Nobilis

Fish are cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates. They are highly susceptible to seasonal and diurnal variations in water temperature in their habitats. Any abnormal change in temperature may influence fish survival, change physiological, biochemical function and enzymatic activities. In order to address this, we exposed Bighead carp Aristichthys nobilis to an increase in temperature from 28°C to 38°C and measured the effects on histopathological changes in gill, liver and kidney tissues, physiological and biochemical responses. For this purpose, we select similar size of fish with a mean weight of 250 ± 66 g and randomly were assigned into 6 tanks (300 liter/tank) with three replicates at a stocking density of 9 fish per tank, fed with a commercial diet. Fish were reared at 28 °C for 10 weeks, then first sample was collected after 24 hr thereafter a subsample of 36 fish from the two groups were exposed gradually every 3h to 38 °C for 24 hr and samples of blood and tissues were collected at each step. By examining tissues sampled at various time points after heat shock (3, 6, 12, and 24 hours); we observed severe anatomical alterations in three vital organs. In the gills, epithelial lifting and edema, blood congestion, primary lamellae thickening, and secondary lamellae curling, shortening, and fusion were evident. In the liver, …show more content…
nobilis) are highly susceptible to changes in environmental temperature, and rapid intervention is required in response to temperature disruptions during aquaculture. This study will therefore encourage aquaculturists to closely monitor culture temperatures for this economically important species of fish. Further study should be conducted on additional immunological parameters, resistance to disease and gene expression of immune responses together with study of several stress hormones will enable a better understanding of the mechanisms response of Bighead carp to