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Effects of Tricaine Methanesulfonate (MS‐222) on Hematocrit: First Field Measurements on Blacknose Dace
Author(s) -
Macavoy S. E.,
Zaepfel R. C.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
transactions of the american fisheries society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.696
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1548-8659
pISSN - 0002-8487
DOI - 10.1577/1548-8659(1997)126<0500:eotmmo>2.3.co;2
Subject(s) - hematocrit , anesthetic , chemistry , significant difference , anesthesia , fish <actinopterygii> , zoology , medicine , biology , fishery
Tricaine methanesulfonate (MS‐222) is an anesthetic commonly used to reduce fish stress during transport or sampling. The exposure of blacknose dace Rhinichthys atratulus to MS‐222 at concentrations of 300 mg/L or 500 mg/L for 9 min or less did not raise hematocrit levels above those of controls. Hematocrit levels tended to be somewhat lower in experimental groups than in controls; however the only significant difference ( P = 0.044) among treatments occurred between the control fish (35% ± 2.3; N = 6) and fish exposed to 500 mg/L for 3 min (30% ± 1.8; N = 7). This difference suggests that initial exposure to MS‐222 may cause stress or, less likely, that the anesthetic has some inherent hemodilution effect. Workers who monitor environmental acidification may be concerned with the hematocrit of the acid‐sensitive blacknose dace because hematocrit increases during acid stress. The use of MS‐222 to ease hematocrit sampling should not elevate measurements.