Baseline hematology values were collected as part of a fish health monitoring program being established at EPCOT's The Land aquaculture facility. Hematology values were recorded for four aquaculture species including, channel catfish, pangasius catfish pangasius sutchi, a Southeast Asian species), tilapia, and pacu (C'olossoma bidens, a South American species). Fish were raised in an indoor, temperature controlled intensive culture environment and fed commercial aquaculture diets. Blood was drawn by lateral vena puncture in a lithium heparin Vacutainer tube. A complete blood cell count included packed cell volume (PCV), total protein (TP), hemolysis index, total red blood cell count (RBC), hemoglobin concentration (Hb), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), total white blood cell count (WBC), mean and absolute differential white blood cell count.

Among the food fish surveyed, pangasius catfish had the highest RBC and PCV. Pacu had the lowest RBC, however they displayed the largest red blood cells with MCV= 73 fL (Table l.). Channel catfish in this study, raised under temperature controlled conditions (T=26 C), displayed much higher RBC and PCV than catfish raised in extensive pond culture in Mississippi, even when compared to warmer times of the year.¹ Obviously, many factors may contribute to differences in these hematology values including, water temperature, oxygen concentration, water quality, nutrition, and disease state. However, it is believed that water temperature may be most significant, and future experiments at EPCOT will be designed to determine the influence of water temperature and season on fish hematology.

Reference

¹Ardelt, T.C., and Johnson, M.R. 1994. Seasonal anemia in farm-raised channel catfish: Preliminary observations. IAAAM Proceedings, 25:88-90.