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2 July 2020 Histopathology of the Liver and Gills of Labeo rosae (Rednose Labeo) from Loskop Dam in South Africa
Jeffrey Lebepe, Johan Steyl, Wilmien J Luus-Powell
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Abstract

The Loskop Dam is the most polluted impoundment in the Olifants River, because it receives pollutants from the entire mine-dominated upper catchment. However, histopathology of fish inhabiting this polluted dam is scantly explored. The current study aimed to investigate the histopathology of the gills and liver of Labeo rosae from Loskop Dam. Alkaline pH was observed throughout the study with most metal concentrations exceeding the water quality guideline for aquatic ecosystems. Regressive changes were the most prominent lesions for both organs with gills showing relatively more pathologies than the liver. Epithelial lifting was 100% prevalent during both seasons in the gills whereas a significant expansion of lipofuscin-laden melanomacrophages (MMCs) showed 100% prevalence in the liver. Gills were significantly different in their prevalence of histopathology between the two seasons, which was not the case for liver. The histopathology recorded in this study shows that the health of L. rosae at Loskop Dam was compromised. Given the exacerbating pollution level in the upper Olifants River, these findings serve as a warning to conservation authorities and emphasise the necessity for regular monitoring of fish health at Loskop Dam to assess pollution levels using fish health as a sensitive indicator to altering pollution levels.

Copyright © Zoological Society of Southern Africa
Jeffrey Lebepe, Johan Steyl, and Wilmien J Luus-Powell "Histopathology of the Liver and Gills of Labeo rosae (Rednose Labeo) from Loskop Dam in South Africa," African Zoology 55(2), 167-174, (2 July 2020). https://doi.org/10.1080/15627020.2020.1740610
Received: 3 September 2019; Accepted: 6 March 2020; Published: 2 July 2020
KEYWORDS
Acid mine drainage
epithelial lifting
fish health
Olifants River
water pollution
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