European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

MORPHOLOGICAL ALTERATIONS CAUSED BY POLLUTION ON GILLS AND FINS OF PENAEUS MONODON

Sherly Williams .E*, Lekshmi Priya. V and Razeena Karim .L

ABSTRACT

Penaeus monodon, one of the commercially important shell fishes of Ashtamudi Lake was selected for the present study. The aim of the present study was to determine the impact of heavy metals on the water, sediment, gills and fins of Penaeus monodon.The gross morphological studies of the gills and fins of prawns were carried out by using SEM. The results revealed that the heavy metals such as chromium, copper and zinc were present above the permissible limit when compared to lead and cadmium. A number of morphological changes were detected while viewing the samples of and gills and fins of selected prawns using SEM. Those morphological changes, which deviate from the normal structural pattern of gills and fins of prawns, may be due to heavy metal accumulation. From the analysis of SEM, the combined effect of accumulation of heavy metals mainly chromium, copper and zinc were observed as white deposition on fins and gills. The effect of accumulation of heavy metals on gills showed fusion of lamellae, vasoconstriction, curling of gill lamellae, severe inter-epithelial oedema etc. The tip of fin filaments of prawns were more affected due to heavy metal accumulation which showed a morphological structural deviation from the normal ones. This kind of heavy metal accumulation is a series threat to the health of prawns as a whole which in turn can leads to many toxic effects in higher level organisms who consumes them.

Keywords: Fin, gill, heavy metals, SEM.