Comparative study of biochemical and hematological features in reared sturgeons

Suitable physiological condition in fishes for the selection of broodfishes can be achieved through hematological studies. The present study aimed to examin the hematological indices in Juvenile Sturgeons at different stages of growth. Total albumin content in blood serum, hemoglobin concentration, the erythrocyte and leukocyte count of 54 sturgeon specimens (Persian sturgeon Acipenser persicus and Great sturgeon Huso huso) were determined at the age of 1, 2 and 6 years reared fish. In the Persian sturgeon specimens studied, total albumin concentration increased from 26.1 to 52.5 gL-1, hemoglobin from 42.2 to 65.8 gL-1, erythrocyte count from 240 to 452.5 thousand cells/ μL-1, and leukocyte count from 17.4 to 46.7 thousand cells/ μL-1. The total leukocyte was composed of 73.2-82.7% lymphocytes, 12.3 to 20% neutrophils, 2.2 to 6.5% eosinophils and 0.2 to 2.5% monocytes with the increase of age.  In the great sturgeon specimens studied, total albumin concentrations in blood increased from 20 to 42.4 g L-1, hemoglobin from 46.3 to 78.6 g L-1, and erythrocyte count from 495 to 735 thousand cells μL-1. The total leukocyte was composed of 54.5 to 67.5% lymphocytes, 6.1 to 26.9 % neutrophils, 6.6 to 13.25% eosinophils and 0.6 to 2.5% monocytes with the increase of age. This research revealed the evolutionary trends of hematological features in the natural growth and development of sturgeons in the South Caspian Sea, reared in artificial conditions and shows that with the increase in age, the hematological indices also increased.