ABSTRACT
The study of haematological parameters and blood cell morphology is recognized as one of the most important techniques for determining the health of a fish population. The two healthy common carp fish species that live in Dal Lake revealed substantial differences in haematological parameters in the current investigation. Higher haemoglobin (Hb), red blood cell (RBC) count and Hct (%) values were found in Cyprinus carpio communis than in C. carpio specularis. The Hb content estimated from two carp species was reported within the range of 5–10 g/dl, while the haematocrit range of common carp varied from 24.45% to 41.87%, which indicated that these fish species are very active. The erythrocyte and leukocyte numbers of C. carpio were reported in the range of 1.5–1.93 × 106/mm3 and 2.6–4.8 × 103 mm−3, respectively. The values of MCV, MCH and MCHC fluctuated from 132.23 to 305 fl, from 40.2 to 75 pg and from 16.84 to 37.65 g/dl, respectively. These differences might be attributed to the difference in size of circulating RBCs. Various blood cell morphological properties were studied using Wright–Giemsa-stained blood smears. Under light microscopy, erythrocytes, leukocytes (lymphocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils and basophils), and thrombocytes were identified. Therefore, the information gathered during this investigation will be useful in determining the fitness of fish species.
