Age-Related Trends in the Blood Chemistry and Hematology of the Indian Carp (Catla catla)

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Abstract
Blood chemistry and hemato-logical variables were measured in 327 fish of the Catla catla (Ham.) species of Indian freshwater carp. Using length-at-age determined by Petersen''s method, the fish were found to vary from 210 to 529 days of age. They were allocated to 7 length-at-age groups, having mean ages of 228, 301, 347, 392, 411, 438 and 475 days. Twenty two variables were measured: 3 physical variables of length, weight, and height; 14 chemical variables for blood or serum, i.e., amylase activity, Ca, chlorides, cholesterol (total, ester, and free), creatinine, glucose, non-protein N, acid and alkaline phosphatase, total protein, urea, and uric acid; and 5 hematological variables, i.e., hemoglobin and 3 types of blood cells (separately and combined). For each of the variables, mean standard deviation, and coefficient of variation have been computed, separately by length-at-age group, and equations have been fitted to length-at-age of each variable using the least squares procedure. Values of the following variables tended to increase linearly with length-at-age: amylase activity, chlorides, creatinine, glucose, total protein, hemoglobin, and blood cells. Values of Ca and of acid and alkaline phosphatase tended to decrease linearly with length-at-age. A parabolic relationship with length-at-age was observed for total cholesterol, free cholesterol, cholesterol ester, non-protein nitrogen, urea, and uric acid. The implications of these results for the physiology of growth and aging are discussed.