Avaliação hematológica e termográfica de juvenis de pacu expostos ao estresse de manejo seguido de indução anestésica

Abstract

The use of natural products with sedative and anesthetic properties are important alternatives to minimize the stress resulting from the practices involved in aquaculture since they have greater efficacy, safety and less risk of adverse effects, than products of synthetic origin. The aim of this study was to evaluate the hematological and thermographic parameters of pacu juveniles exposed to management stress followed by anesthetic induction. Juveniles (30.36 ± 01.37 g; 9.27 ± 1.42 cm) were exposed to capture and handling stress followed by anesthesia with Ocimum basilicum basil essential oil, for this, the fish were divided into five groups (12 fish each group): control (handling only water), handling with ethanol (600 µL L-1 ), handling with essential oil of O. basilicum 100, 350 and 600 mg L- 1. The fish were captured and transferred to 5 aquariums of 30 L (1 aquarium for each treatment with 12 fish in each), were kept for 10 min in the aquariums according to the respective treatments. After this period, biometrics, blood collection and thermographic evaluation were carried out. The use of this essential oil in biometric management procedures was not able to prevent hematological changes related to management stress in pacu juveniles. The measurement of skin temperature using infrared thermography provides useful data for understanding the effects of anesthesia on fish, however, further studies are needed to better understand the use of this technique as a measure of well-being in fish farming.