Abstract
Ornamental fish during short-term or long-term transportation have stress-related effects due to their exposure to degrading levels of water quality e.g., pH (acidic or alkaline), oxygen, ammonia, temperature levels, etc., and captivity in container. Thus, estimation of biochemical parameters, as lipid peroxidation (LPO) and antioxidant enzymatic activities (SOD-superoxide dismutase, CAT-catalase, GST-glutathione-s-transferase) during pH shift response in liver and muscle of three ornamental fish such as black wagtail platy, rosy barb and lemon-yellow cichlid was reported here. Although 100% survivability was noted among all fish species but oxidative stress was marked with an increase in LPO levels in all fishes transported in different containers /plastic bags for a travel of 6hours by road and those exposed to short-term for 6hours/day for 96 hours to pH5 and pH10 maintained under lab conditions. Exposure of Rosy Barb to pH10 and platy and cichlid to pH5 induced significant increase in LPO in liver tissue compared to all transported fish whereas, muscle tissue of platy and cichlid showed increased activities of LPO during transportation compared to exposed ones and control group of fish. Significantly elevated levels of SOD activity in both tissues of all experimental fishes whereas CAT activity was more in liver tissue of transported fishes to counteract stress response and detoxify products of lipid peroxidation. Therefore, understanding variation in stress levels of ornamental fishes during transportation and exposure to pH levels which is tissue as well as species-specific becomes critically important for their welfare in aquaculture practices as observed in this study.