Respiratory responses in freshwater fish Channa punctatus (Bloch) during sublethal toxicity of deltamethrin in relation to sex

Abstract

Oxygen consumption plays an imperative role in the life of all organisms. The air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink, are contaminated by toxic substances. In the present study, Channa punctatus (BLOCH) was used as an animal model to determine the sublethal toxicity of deltamethrin. Males weighing 10 + 2g and females weighing 12 + 2g were divided into groups of ten each and were exposed to different concentrations of Deltamethrin ranging from 0.02 ppm to 0.2 ppm. Five exposure periods i.e. 24 h, 7, 15, 20 and 30 days were selected for determination of respiratory responses i.e. time course oxygen consumption and whole animal oxygen consumption of both sexes of fish to the imposed toxic stress at these periods of exposure. In the whole animal, the rate of oxygen consumption in males and females Channa punctatus in relation to control was initially elevated at 24 h and declined thereafter at 7 and 15 days of exposure periods, and at the end of 30 days exposure there was a rise in oxygen consumption from its earlier maximum suppression and came nearer to the control in both sexes.

Key words: deltamethrin, sublethal toxicity, oxygen consumption and Channa punctatus.