During an experiment which has been carried out to analyse the influence of chlorinity on the blood elements of a species of rockfish,
Sebastiscus marmoratus, some specimens kept in the experimental tanks have incidentally developed ulcers. Examinations of the blood elements were therefore carried out in order to compare the amount of each constituent under normal and diseased conditions.
Four male fish were used as the materials in the present study. The sampling dates of the fish and the experimental conditions are shown in Table 1. The sequential changes of water temperature and chlorinity in the experimental tanks are also indicated in Figs. 1-3. Determinations of the amount of moisture content of the blood, specific gravity of the blood, serum protein, erythrocyte, chlorinity and hydrogen ion concentration were all made using the same techniques employed in the previous study
7). Blood was also drawn from the specimens in the same procedure as in the previous investigation, and the same foods were also given. To determine the haematocrit value, a small amount of blood was filled in a capillary (1.25-1.50×75mm) heparinized previously with heparin to prevent blood coagulation. A high speed centrifuge for haematocrit measurement was then applied for ten minutes at a speed of 10, 000 rpm. A capillary itself was then put on a haematocrit counting desk for enumeration. In measuring the urea nitrogen level of serum, 0.2ml of serum was dropped into a test tube (10×75mm) in which a piece of urea nitrogen chromatography paper (Warner-Chilcott, Co.) was inserted. Reaction was then observed after thirty minutes of treatment.
The experimental results indicated that:
1. Symptoms of ulcers appeared first on the spines and fin rays of the dorsal fin, opercula, between the pectoral and ventral fins, between the dorsal fin rays and anal fin, and on the caudal peduncle as well as the caudal fin. In these parts, the color turned into a greyish white, probably owing to the aggregation of melanin granules in melanophores. The suffering individual was likely to isolate itself from the original group and separated singly in the experimental tank. Although activities of such fish were very low, their response to a slight stimulation, sound for example, was extremely sensitive. Later the condition of the illness took a serious turn; the neural spines, caudal vertebrae and urostyles could therefore be seen from the outside as a part of the epidermis was damaged at this stage of the disease (Plate I-a, b, c). The color of the gill and Cuvierian duct turned into a yellowish orange in spite of the original color being dark red in healthy specimens.
2. When the ulcer reached a serious stage, the specific gravity of blood decreased considerably. While, the moisture content of the blood increased from 89.9% to 91.5% (Fig. 4).
3. The amounts of serum protein in the ill specimens were also a little (0.3-4.O%) less than those of normal individuals (Figs. 6 and 7).
4. Similarly, the haematocrit values decreased remarkably (8-16%) when a fish had an ulcer. In a specimen whose haematocrit value was lowered from 19.3% to 3.0%, the leucocyte concentration went up to about 2.5% which seemed to be much higher than that of normal individuals (Figs. 5 and 7).
5. The test with urea nitrogen chromatography paper gave no positive reaction on the serum of normal fish. However, a value of 10mg/100m
l was obtained when the ulcer began to develop and it reached up to 40mg/100m
l when the fish was seriously affected by the ulcer (Plate I-d).
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