IMPACT OF CHLORDANE ON BEHAVIOURAL PATTERNS AND HAEMATOLOGICAL INDICES OF CATLA CATLA

D. Vineela, S. Janardana Reddy* and B. Kiran Kumar

ABSTRACT

Freshwater fishes are important source of animal protein to human population. They are adversely affected by aquatic pollutants such as pesticides used in agriculture, which are easily washed off into the water bodies through the skin, gill, intestine, wound, etc. Acute toxicity of an organochlorine insecticide is characterized by their persistence and ability to accumulate in aquatic organisms. Our present study is aimed to elucidate the effect of Chlordane on Haematological indices of carp fish Catla catla. 1/5th sub lethal concentration of Chlordane is 0.201 μg/L was used for the toxicity experiment. Blood samples are used to analyze for the haematological total erythrocyte count (TEC), total leucocyte count (TLC), total haemoglobin count (Hb) and Packed cell volume (PCV or Hct), The experimental fish treated with Chlordane over an exposure period of 3, 7, 14, 30 and 45 days. Chlordane caused a significant decrease in total Erythrocyte count (-69.02%), total Haemoglobin content (-66.06%) and Haematocrit (-62.29%) and induced a significant elevation in the total Leucocyte count (91.04%) compared to control group.

Keywords: Catla catla, Organochlorine pesticide, Chlordane, LC 50, Behavioural patterns, Haematological Indices.