144 



Conservation Department 



Table 1. — The Hemoglobin and Erythrocyte Values of the Blood of Normal 



Fish 



SPECIES 



Hemoglobin 

 per cent 



Erythrocytes 

 per cubic 

 millimeter 



Mooneye (Hiodon iergisus) 



Yellow perch (Perca flavescens) 



White bass (Lepidema chrysops) •. . 



Water dog (Necturus maculosus) ^ 



Yellow pike (Stizostedion vitreum) 



Horned dace {Semotilus atromaculatus) .... 

 Small-mouthed bass (Micropterus dolomieu) 



Common shiner (Notropis cornutus) 



White crappie (Pomoxis annularis) 



Sucker {Moxostoma aureolum) 



Channel cat (Ictalurns punctatus) 



Carp (Cyprinus carpio) 



Cyprinus carpio ^ 



Ameiurus nebulosus^ 



Cyprinus carpio * 



Moxostoma aureolum ^ 



47 

 73 

 53 



94 

 62 

 44 



80 

 95 

 66 

 30 

 40 

 102 

 100 



Lost 

 1,100,000 

 3,100,000 

 56,000 

 1,700,000 

 2,100,000 

 2,200,000 

 1,900,000 

 1,860,000 



Lost 



2,400,000 



1,600,000 



1,000,000 



640.000 



Lost 

 1,500,000 



1 Value furnished through the courtesy of Professor S. H. Gage. 



2 An injured fish. 



' Fungus growth developed over entire body. 

 * Dying from unknown causes. 

 ^ Dying from unknown causes. 



Table 1 augments the data of previous workers in showing that 

 fish have a comparatively small number of red cells but that these 

 cells contain a considerable amount of hemoglobin. For purposes 

 of comparison it might be well to recall that the average man has 

 about five million erythrocytes per cubic millimeter of blood with 

 a hemoglobin value of slightly more than 100 per cent. The adult 

 rat has 8-12 million erythrocj^tes with a hemoglobin value of 

 100-130 per cent. The average goat has 15-20 million erythro- 

 cytes with a hemoglobin value of only 80 per cent. In other words 

 fish blood often has as much hemoglobin in two million cells as 

 goat blood has in fifteen million. 



In Table 1 a sample from the water dog, Necfurus macidosics, 

 has been included in order to show the large amount of hemo- 

 globin contained in their cells. 



At the bottom of Table 1 have been placed some ty^pical data 

 upon blood from sick or injured fish. These figures show the 

 rapid response of the blood to injuries of the body. A starving 

 animal will frequently show a marked concentration of the blood 

 with increased hemoglo])in wliile many types of malnutrition and 

 diseases show the opposite effect. It is hoped tliat ultimately such 

 indications can be employed in hatcheries to allow time to check 

 diseases before the fish have started to die. 



