Comparison of changes in hemoglobin, hematocrit and red and white blood cells count during food deprivation in Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baeri) and cultured juvenile beluga, (Huso huso)

The aim of this study was to compare the effect of short term starvation periods on hematological factors including hemoglobin، hematocrit، red and white blood cells and corpuscle indices (MCV، MCH، and MCHC) of great sturgeon (Huso huso) and Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baeri) with initial body weight of 45±1. 5g and 19. 71±0. 83g، respectively. After adaptation for 10 days with dry diet were randomly divided to three treatments and replicates. The fish were exposed to 3 different feeding regimes: T1 (2 days starvation); T2 (4 days starvation) and T3 (8 days starvation). At the end of each starvation period blood samples were collected from the caudal vein and were immediately transported to the laboratory. The results indicated that different starvation periods did not affect MCV. Red and white blood cells count indicated significant difference (P< 0. 05) between all treatments in both species. Hemoglobin concentration and MCHC of Siberian sturgeon in T2 and T3 and MCH value of Siberian sturgeon in T3 were significantly higher (P< 0. 05) than great sturgeon. Hematocrit value of great sturgeon was significantly higher (P< 0. 05) in T3 than Siberian sturgeon. The current study indicated that white blood cell count in Siberian sturgeon was significantly higher (P< 0. 05) than great sturgeon. It could be concluded that short-term starvation periods weaken the immunological system of cultured juvenile great sturgeon but hematological factors of juvenile Siberian sturgeon were not significantly affected by short-term starvation. Moreover، the observed differences in other hematological factors between two species probably derived from inter species differences.