Haematological and Biochemical Reference Intervals for Heteropneustes fossilis

This study presents reference intervals for haematological and biochemical variables in the Indian catfish, Heteropneustes fossilis. The haematological parameters include the primary and secondary blood cell indices - red blood cell (RBC), white blood cell (WBC), differential leucocyte count (DLC), neutrophils:lymphocytes (N:L), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), haemoglobin (Hb) and haematocrit (Hct), as well as the biochemical variables, plasma glucose and plasma chloride. The reference intervals for all the parameters were determined at the 25th and 75th percentiles and all the variables showed normal distribution. A new feature is the inclusion of reference intervals for N:L ratio, which is considered a potential stress biomarker. The study aims to provide a reliable database for haematological parameters, which can be clinically important in the assessment of health and well-being of this economically important catfish of the Asian sub-continent.