Differential blood cells associated with parasitism in the wild puffer fish Lagocephalus laevigatus (Tetraodontiformes) of the Campeche Coast, southern Mexico.

Abstract

In aquaculture conditions, severe parasitic infections cause negative impacts on fish health and economic losses. The parasite load has been associated with anemia, which reduces the number of erythrocytes in fish. Therefore, the evaluation of hematological parameters as a feasible tool for diagnosing and monitoring fish health allows us to determine the indirect effect of parasites on the health status of fish. Our aim was to evaluate changes in the blood cell parameters of Lagocephalus laevigatus associated with parasitism. A total of 99 puffer fish were collected from the coast of Seybaplaya, Campeche. Each fish had 20 µl of peripheral blood drawn, and blood smears were performed in triplicate. The smears were stained with Giemsa stain, and a quantitative analysis of blood cells (erythrocytes, leukocytes, and monocytes) was obtained with an optical microscope at 100 ×. The parasites recovered from each fish were fixed and identified, and the infection parameters were calculated. Through generalized additive model analysis (GAMLSS), we observed that the infection intensity of puffer fish influenced changes in hematological parameters, principally in erythrocytes, neutrophils, thrombocytes, the total fish length, and the condition factor of the fish. In conclusion, this is the first study that provides baseline data on the hematological parameter variations in uninfected and infected L. laevigatus, the tropical wild puffer fish, as well as the possible effects on fish health. It is necessary to establish reference hematological patterns in wild populations for diagnosis and timely management with emphasis on aquaculture fish.