Histological and Ultra Structural Alterations of Gills of Freshwater Fish Channa punctatus (Bloch), On Exposure to Pesticide, Sevin

Carbaryl (1-naphthyl methyl carbamate) is a carbamate pesticide. It is a white crystalline solid commonly called Sevin. The present study deals with the deleterious effects of 10.56ppm Sevin on the histopathological and ultra structural levels of the gills of Channa punctatus (1/10th of LC 50 96 hrs). The histopathology of gill was studied under light and scanning electron microscopy. Sevin is a wide-spectrum carbamate pesticide which controls over 100 species of pests. The gills of Channa punctatus exposed to Sevin exhibited lamellar fusion at the tip of gill filaments. In addition, a few aneurisms were also observed in gill lamellae. The gills showed curved secondary gill filaments resulting in distension of the lamellae and the epithelial layer detached completely from the central portion of gill lamellae.