A comparative evaluation of hematological and biochemical parameters between the Italian mullet Mugilcephalus (Linnaeus 1758) and the Turkish mullet Chelonauratus(Risso 1810)

Francesco Fazio,Sevdan Yilmaz,Osman Sabri Kesbi̇ç,Ümit Acar,Rifat Tezel,Concetta Saoca,Ferhat Yalgin,Murat Çeli̇k,Murat Yi̇ği̇t

doi:10.3906/zoo-1907-37

Abstract

This study aimed to carry out a comparative evaluation of the hematological profile (erythrocyte count, hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit, and Wintrobe index parameters such as mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration), in addition to certain biochemical parameters (aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, serum total protein, albumin, glucose, total cholesterol, and triglycerides), in the Italian mullet Mugil cephalus (Linnaeus 1758) and the Turkish mullet Chelon auratus (Risso 1810). Accordingly, two groups of fish were used in this study: 30 flathead grey mullets, M. cephalus, caught in Lake Faro, Italy, and 30 golden grey mullets, C. auratus, caught in the estuarine channel system of Koycegiz?Dalyan, Turkey. Statistical evaluations (unpaired t-test) revealed that there were no significant differences in weight or total length values between the two mullet groups. However, the differences between all the evaluated blood parameters (except alanine aminotransferase) between the Italian and the Turkish mullet were significant (P < 0.0001). The present study demonstrated that there were significant hematological and biochemical differences between the Italian (M. cephalus) and the Turkish (C. auratus) mullet. Our findings also contribute to expanding the knowledge on the hematology and biochemistry of two different species of mullet originating from two different habitats. Since the evaluation of blood parameters represents an essential tool in examining the effects of environmental conditions on fish physiology and, consequently, on fish health status, further research in this field is encouraged and would be very useful.

Highlights

The flathead grey mullet, Mugil cephalus (Linnaeus 1758), and the golden grey mullet, Chelon auratus (Risso 1810), are two species of fish belonging to the family Mugilidae with commercial importance in tropical and warm temperate estuaries (Blaber, 1997) and an important ecological function in food chains (Cardona, 2001)
Experimental design The present study was performed on a total of 60 adult fish (30 flathead grey mullets, M. cephalus, and 30 golden grey mullets, C. auratus) caught in Italy and Turkey, respectively
There were no significant differences between the biometric indices of the two fish species

Summary

Introduction

The flathead grey mullet, Mugil cephalus (Linnaeus 1758), and the golden grey mullet, Chelon auratus (Risso 1810), are two species of fish belonging to the family Mugilidae with commercial importance in tropical and warm temperate estuaries (Blaber, 1997) and an important ecological function in food chains (Cardona, 2001). Several authors have previously published important studies on this fish (Cardona, 2006; Fazio et al, 2014, 2015, 2019; Gisbert et al, 2016; Parrino et al, 2018). It is a euryhaline and eurythermal species of considerable commercial importance that consistently contributes to fisheries of estuarine and coastal regions in numerous countries (Saleh, 2006; Whitfield et al, 2012). In terms of aquaculture diversification, the grey mullet is important in the Mediterranean region due to its good adaptation to aquaculture conditions, its rapid growth, and the high market price of its salt-cured and dried eggs named bottarga (Whitfield et al, 2012)

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Conclusion