Comparison of efficacy of clove oil and ketamine on anesthesia and physiological changes in juvenile Sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus)

The present study was carried out to investigate the efficacy of two anesthetics, clove oil and ketamine, comparison of hematological parameters, and blood biochemical indices under optimum doses of the two anesthetics in juvenile Sterlet Acipenser ruthenus (n=276) with an average weight of 64.1 ± 3.4 g. Clove oil was used in concentrations of 14, 35, 56, 77, 98 and 119 mg/l, and those of 35, 37.5, 40, 42.5, 45 and 50 mg/l for ketamine in three replicates. Both losing time of equilibrium and induced time of anesthesia were reduced by increasing the concentrations of these two agents, whereas time of recovery increased. Optimum doses regarding the time of anesthesia and recovery were obtained as 56 mg/l and 45 mg/l for clove oil and ketamine, respectively. There were significant decreases in hematological parameters for all treatments compared to control group (P0.05), whereas, fish exposed to handling stress showed significant changes in all biochemical indices (P0.05), but cortisol and lactate changed significantly (P