Studies on the peripheral blood cell parameters and morphology of the red paradise fish, Macropodus opercularis. Effect of food deprivation on erythropoiesis

A description is presented of the peripheral blood cell values and blood cell morphology of both the normal and the starved red paradise fish. An inhibitory influence of food deprivation upon erythropoiesis was demonstrated in this fish by the significant decrease in red blood cell and hematocrit values. A comparative study showed that the size and numbers of erythrocytes present in teleost blood reflect its habitat, activity, and degree of evolution.