Investigation of Hematopoietic Precursor Cells in the Peripheral Blood Tissue of Van Fish (Alburnus tarichi, Güldenstädt, 1814)

The Van fish (Alburnus tarichi, Güldenstädt, 1814) is an anadromous teleost species that has adapted to the saline and alkaline waters of Lake Van. Between the months of April and July, the fish migrate for breeding to the freshwater streams that flow into Lake Van. The aquatic habitats affect many physiological parameters of the fish, including blood values such as the morphological structure and count of blood cells. Exogenous factors like temperature and oxygen levels of the aquatic environment trigger the release of hormones involved in hematopoiesis. In this study, hematopoietic precursor cells in the peripheral blood tissue of fish sampled from the alkaline and saline waters of Lake Van and freshwater streams during the breeding migration were histologically examined. According to the findings, a difference was observed in the number of precursor cells between the lake and stream locations (P < 0.05). Fish sampled from the stream contained a higher number of precursor cells compared to those from the lake. The examination of peripheral blood tissue revealed that erythroblasts and myelocytes were present in greater numbers. It was noted that neutrophil myelocytes were more numerous than monocyte and lymphocyte precursor cells. Basophil precursor cells were rarely observed in the peripheral blood. However, platelet precursor cells were not found in the peripheral blood tissue. As a result, it was noted that exogenous factors in the aquatic environment trigger hematopoiesis in the peripheral blood tissue of the Van fish and increase the number of precursor cells.