Hematology, Plasma Biochemistry, and Tissue Enzyme Activities of Invasive Red Lionfish Captured off North Carolina, USA

Abstract

The red lionfish Pterois volitans is important not only in the aquarium trade but also as an invasive species in the western Atlantic. Introduced to waters off the southeastern coast of the United States, red lionfish have rapidly spread along much of the East Coast and throughout Bermuda, the Bahamas, and much of the Caribbean. Hematology and plasma biochemistry were evaluated in red lionfish captured from the offshore waters of North Carolina to establish baseline parameters for individual and population health assessment. Blood smears were evaluated for total and differential white blood cell counts, and routine clinical biochemical profiles were performed on plasma samples. To improve the interpretive value of routine plasma biochemistry profiles, tissue enzyme activities (alkaline phosphatase [ALP], alanine aminotransferase [ALT], aspartate aminotransferase [AST], gamma-glutamyl transferase [GGT], lactate dehydrogenase [LD], and creatine kinase [CK]) were analyzed from liver, kidney, skeletal muscle, gastrointestinal tract, and heart tissues from five fish. The hematological and plasma biochemical values were similar to those of other marine teleosts except that the estimated white blood cell counts were much lower than those routinely found in many species. The tissue enzyme activity findings suggest that plasma LD, CK, and AST offer clinical relevance in the assessment of red lionfish.

Hematological and Histological Changes in Prussian Carp Carassius gibelio Infected with Cyprinid Herpesvirus 2

“…An increase above baseline activity often indicates tissue or organ lesion leading to an increase in the release of enzymes into the bloodstream (Meyer and Harvey 1998). In our study, levels of AST, ALT, AKP, and LDH found in all of sampled kidney, heart, liver, muscle, and gastrointestinal tissue indicated low tissue and organ specificity; however, the activities for these enzymes in different tissues or organs were different in the Red Lionfish Pterois volitans (Anderson et al 2010). Low tissue and organ specificity and high variations in levels of these enzymes in different tissues and organs have also been found in other animals (Ramsay and Dotson 1995;Fauquier et al 2008;Anderson et al 2013).…”

Parasitism inPterois volitans(Scorpaenidae) from Coastal Waters of Puerto Rico, the Cayman Islands, and the Bahamas

“…Although there have not been reports of introduced Indo-Pacific parasites, it does not mean that microparasites might not have hitchhiked in lionfish. So far, only macroparasites have been studied infecting these fishes, except for Anderson et al (2010), who reported a blood parasite infecting lionfish; however this species has not been proven to be from the Pacific. Even with the introduction of a foreign parasite species, unless there is a suitable host to complete the cycle, the parasite may not become established (Torchin et al, 2003).…”

Low Susceptibility of Invasive Red Lionfish (Pterois volitans) to a Generalist Ectoparasite in Both Its Introduced and Native Ranges

“…Although fish imported through the aquarium trade are often treated for parasites before shipment and/or upon arrival, such treatments are applied inconsistently, depending on the collector or importer, and target external parasites. Indeed, protozoan blood parasites have been found in lionfish collected from some Atlantic localities [81]. Thus, future studies of parasites in lionfish should include assays for blood parasites.…”