Abstract
Reference intervals are an important diagnostic tool that clinicians use to make accurate clinical decisions.1 Reference intervals for routine hematology and biochemistry panels for many fish species have been documented.2-9 There are published data that show how environmental manipulation affects isolated hematology and blood biochemistry values in clownfish. However, there are no published data that have established reference intervals for routine hematology and blood biochemistry panels for this popular cultured marine fish (including Amphiprion spp.).10 The objective of this study was to establish de novo reference intervals for packed cell volume, total solids, white blood cell differential and blood cell morphology, lactate, and eleven common chemistry analytes using an i-STAT Portable Clinical Analyzer (albumin, aspartate aminotransferase, calcium, creatine kinase, globulins, glucose, sodium, potassium, phosphorous, total protein, and uric acid) in captive clownfish. In August 2018, this twin study sampled blood from 25 clinically healthy tomato clownfish (Amphiprion frenatus) and 38 clinically healthy saddleback clownfish (Amphiprion polymnus) from two clownfish production facilities in Florida for hematological and biochemical analysis. Blood films were created on-site for each fish for complete review. Guidelines generated by the American Society of Veterinary Clinical Pathology were followed to generate robust reference intervals from the data collected. The results generated from this study provide baseline health data for clownfish species that can be used by clinicians for clinical decision making, while also serving as a springboard for further studies.
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank Mr. Kent Passingham of North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Mr. Denver Coleman of the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, Mr. Eric Wagner of Proaquatix, and Mr. Adam Heinrich of Oceans, Reefs, & Aquariums. The authors thank the Robert J. Koller Endowment for Aquatic Animal Medicine and the International Association for Aquatic Animal Medicine Medway Scholarship Endowment for financial support of this project, and Dr. Michael O’Connor of Holy Family Veterinary Hospital for technical assistance.
*Presenting author
+Student presenter
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