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Fish health assessment: a preliminary report on the use of impression smears of skin mucus
Author(s) -
Wechsler S. J.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
journal of fish biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.672
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1095-8649
pISSN - 0022-1112
DOI - 10.1111/j.1095-8649.1984.tb04884.x
Subject(s) - mucus , biology , fish <actinopterygii> , carassius auratus , physiology , pathology , fishery , ecology , medicine
Preliminary results from this study suggest that impression smears of the skin mucus of fish can be used to aid in the evaluation of the fish's health status. Nonstressed Lagodon rhomboides and Carassius auratus have numerous superficial epithelial cells, occasional lymphocytes and other mononuclear cells in their cutaneous mucus. Smears of these fish 24 h post‐stress had more cellular debris, micro‐organisms and erythrocytes when compared to those made pre‐stress. Components in the mucus of fish which recovered gradually became normal. Smears of fish, which died, had increasing amounts of debris and micro‐organisms. The use of this relatively nontraumatic technique may be a useful adjunct in monitoring fish health.