CHROMATOPHORES AS AN BIOINDICATOR FOR DETECTION OF ARSENIC TRIOXIDE IN FRESH WATER FISH CHANNA PUNCTATUS

Abstract

Arsenic is an element that is widely distributed in the earth’s crust and its compounds are used as pesticides, herbicides, insecticides and various alloys. The effects of Arsenic on fish have environmental ramifications as arsenic is present in some water systems throughout the world and accumulates in aquatic animals. Fish chromatophores exhibit marked changes in appearance when exposed to most environmental toxins with typical response involving a movement of pigment granules to the center of the cells giving the cell shrunken appearance or the opposite response as a dispersion of pigment granules can also occur due to some agents or it may depend on the exposure period. Channa punctatus was exposed for 30^th days to arsenic trioxide at a concentration of 6ppm under laboratory conditions. The fish showed changes in the pigmentation of scales, and there by coloration of fish which were exposed to Arsenic. Melanophores granules in the pigment cells of scales get aggregated and pigment cells got ruptured causing paleness in the experimental fishes. These effects suggest fish chromatophores have been shown to be promising biosensor for the detection of hostile agents in the environment.