Induction of Normocytic-Normochromic Anaemia in Clarias Gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) Exposed to Acute Concentration of 1, 1-Dimethyl 4,4-Bipiridillium ( Paraquat ) under Laboratory Conditions

Normocytic-normochromic anaemia was induced in Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) at intervals of 1, 14 and 28 days. Experimental fish were exposed to test water separately diluted with acute concentrations of paraquat of 0, 15, 20, 25 and 30mg/L. A 96Hrs exposure to acute concentrations of the toxicant resulted in normocytic-normochromic anaemia in the exposed fish. Blood indices attributable to normocyticnormochromic anaemia was observed with a significant (p<0.05) decrease in haemoglobin, haematocrit, red blood cells compared with fish in the control test: Mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) were not significantly different (p>0.05). White blood cells, lymphocytes, monocytes, Neutrophils, eosinophil and basophil were also not significantly different (p>0.05) with increasing concentrations of the toxicant.

Keywords: Toxicity, paraquat, Clarias gariepinus , normocytic-normochromic, and anaemia.