Biometric and hematological indices of Mugil curema inhabiting two Neotropical estuaries

Abstract

The present study aimed to evaluate the biometric and hematological indices in Mugil curema collected in two Neotropical estuaries in the south coast of Brazil, and to investigate if such variables can be influenced by seasonality and degree of anthropogenic influence. Differences between seasons and estuarine systems were observed, where the dissolved oxygen and salinity, together with the historical contamination of the Santos estuarine system (SES), seem to play an important role in the biological response. Fish from the SES presented, in general, high responses of the hematological variables (red and white series) and the hepatosomatic index, relative to those fish from Peruíbe estuarine system (PES), even with the remote contamination present at PES, while no erythrocytic abnormalities or micronucleus were observed in fish collected at SES and PES in both seasons. The present work demonstrated that M. curema collected at SES are experiencing hematological and metabolic perturbations that are not observed in fish collected at PES.