Haematological and behavioral response of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) (Burchell, 1822) exposed to sub-lethal concentration of xylene

The study was carried out to examine the haematological and behavioral response of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) exposed to sub-lethal concentrations (0.0 ml/L (as control), 12.8 ml/ L, 25.59 ml/L, 38.39 ml/L, 51.19 ml/L, and 63.99 ml/L) of xylene using a renewable assay for 28 days. A total of one hundred and twenty (120) healthy Clarias gariepinus with a mean length of 15.20±2.3 cm and mean weight of 10.23±2.60 g was used for the experiment. Some physicochemical parameters such as temperature, conductivity, hydrogen ion concentration (pH), total hardness and total dissolved solids, dissolved oxygen, total alkalinity, ammonia and nitrate were monitored using standard procedures. These parameters were significantly different (P<0.05) across the concentration gradients with time. behavioral changes observed in C. gariepinus exposed to the different concentrations of xylene compared to the control includes increased erratic swimming, hyperactivity, decreased equilibrium status, increased jerky movement and decreased fin movement. There were significant dissimilarities (P<0.05) observed in haemoglobin concentration, packed cell volume, red blood cell counts, white blood cell and blood platelets of the Clarias gariepinus species on exposure to the toxicant from the control except for mean corpuscular volume and haemoglobin concentration PCV (24.5±0.33 to 20.8±0.06); HB (6.9±0.58 to 8.2±1.03); RBC (3.5±0.08 to 3.9±0.16); WBE (6.9±0.05 to 10.1±0.04); Platelet (168±1.45 to 214±0.05); MCHC (30.5±0.07 to 32.5±0.01); MCH (20.5±0.01 to 20.4±0.01) and MCV (59±0.07 to 62±0.02) respectively. In conclusion, xylene caused negative changes in the haematological indices and the behavioural pattern of C. garienpinus. Hence the need to focus efforts on ensuring a decrease in the discharge of xylene to water bodies.