Haematological and Haemopoietic Studies in an Air-Breathing Fish on Cyanocobalamin and Folacin Deficient Diet

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Abstract
Experimental deficiencies of cyanocobalamin and folacin separately and in combination were induced in an air-breathing teleost fish Channa punctatus with the help of a complete vitamin test diet. Cyanocobalamin deficiency produced normocytic hypochromic anemia while the folacin deficiency or the combined deficiency of both vitamins produced macrocytic hypochromic anemia. Leukocytosis, with significant increase in thrombocytes and decrease in neutrophil population, was observed during individual and combined deficiencies of these vitamins. The relative population of different developing stages in erythropoiesis showed significant change. Thus small lymphoid hemoblast decreased in number while young and mature reticulocyte populations increased. Normal condition could be obtained by restoring a complete vitamin test diet fortified with an initial i.m. administration of 0.01 mg/g and 0.02 mg/g body wt of cyanocobalamin and folacin, respectively. A comparison of deficiency effects on C. punctatus with Labeo rohita shows that the former, a carnivorous species with higher Hb content in peripheral blood is more susceptible to deficiency than the latter, a herbivorous fish with lower Hb values.