Influence of nutrition on the hepatocytes of Chanos chanos (Chanidae: Teleostei)

Abstract

The hepatocytes of milkfish (C. chanos) fry and fingerlings offered a variety of diets differ considerably as was shown by means of transmission electron microscopy. For fry it was shown that a 7 day starvation period results in a heavily altered hepatocyte ultrastructure but that even in this stadium fast regeneration was possible. Chlorella turned out to be the worst diet, among the artificial diets, the trout diet provoked the best regeneration. In fingerlings a prolonged starvation period was necessary to affect hepatocytes. In some cases considerable indications of liver cell degeneration were found after feeding certain diets for 2-3 months. Even dried lumut and lab-lab did not create optimal hepatocyte ultrastructure. Feeding with cod liver oil did not result in deposition of lipid droplets in the hepatocytes of fingerlings, what is in contrast to milkfish fry hepatocytes.