In the present investigation live specimens of Channa punctatus were collected, after acclimatization they were chronically exposed to sublethal concentrations of mercuric chloride for 15 and 30 days. As compared to the control fish, Mercury treated fish kidney showed marked histopathological changes. After 15 days the alterations detected initially were the widening of space between the capsul...

Metabolic adjustments were studied in channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus exposed to 1.5 mg L-1 of phe nol (10% LC50) for four days and recovered for seven days. Lower triacylglycerol (TGA) stores and increased muscle fat free acids (FFA) suggest fat catabolism in muscle. Remarkable liver FFA decrease (-31%) suggests liver fat catabolism as well. Increased muscular ammonia levels and ASAT (aspa...

Channel catfish virus (CCV) disease is an acute haemorrhagic disease in juvenile channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). While fish that survive primary CCV infection are suspected of being carriers of CCV, little is known concerning CCV latency. In this report, fingerling catfish were infected with CCV by experimental immersion challenge. Infected fish displayed clinical signs of CCV disease, b...

Myostatin is a recently discovered gene that inhibits muscle growth. In the present study, we characterized the myostatin locus and its expression in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). The genomic DNA and cDNA encoding the channel catfish myostatin were cloned and sequenced. The myostatin gene has three exons encoding a protein of 389 amino acids. Comparison of the genomic sequences with th...