Study of the haemoglobin content of a single erythrocyte (M index) in various cultured fish species

Investigations of the erythrocyte count, haemoglobin content and M index of 7 fish species were performed under equivalent environmental conditions in the same period of the year. The species were: bighead Hypophthalmichthys nobilis (Richardson), carp Cyprinus carpio L., silver carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix (Val.), grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella (Val.), sheat-fish Silurus glanis L. , pike Esox Indus L., pike-perch Lucioperca lucioperca (L.). Bighead and carp are carnivorous and omnivorous, silver carp and grass carp are herbivorous and sheat-fish, pike and pike-perch are predatory. Significant differences were demonstrable between M values of fish living on different type of food, where the M index is: It is concluded that M index values are useful as one parameter differentiating between fish with distinctly different food habits.