THE EFFECT OF PETROLEUM BY-PRODUCTS (FUEL AND KEROSENE) ON THE HAEMOGLOBIN OF AFRICAN CAT FISH (CLARIAS GARIEPINUS)

The effects of petroleum by-products (fuel and kerosene) on the hematology of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) was studied. Ten juvenile fishes were introduced in each aquarium, and  held for 24hours in the laboratory, inside these aquaria, filled with 10 litres of unchlorinated well water. After 24hours, fuel and  kerosene (500ml each) were introduced in each of the aquaria, while the third was used as control. Packed cell volume (PCV) values of the fish in fuel was 28.66+7.10a and was found lower than that in kerosene which was 29.67+ 71a . Hb reported in this study were 10.33+0.62a and 10.92 +0.51a  for the fish in fuel and kerosene respectively.  White blood cell recorded during this study was 188.98+4.88a and 190.01+ 3.20a  for fish in fuel and kerosene respectively are lower in control which was 290 +2.78a. Red blood cell values obtained from the fish in kerosene (2.96 +022a) in this study was higher than that observed in fish in fuel (2.42 +0.12a .The Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV) values observed in this study (117.68+ 4.83a   and  120.20+ 2.01a) for the fish in fuel and kerosene respectively are lower than the control 132.20 +3.82a (fl). Mean cell haemoglobin values observed in this study were 42.65+1.99a  and 45.41 +0.02a for the fish in fuel and kerosene respectively. The higher lymphocytes (190.71 +5.23a) was observed in C. gariepinus  in than the fish in fuel which has lymphocyte level of  185.65+5.13a  these two compared to the control which has lymphocytes of 210.33 +7.05. However, all the blood parameters of fish species recorded during this study were within the healthy ranges for fish but suggest that morality depends on concentration.