Immunocompetence of Penaeus monodon under acute salinity stress and pathogenicity of Vibrio harveyi with respect to ambient salinity.

Abstract Salinity is an important environmental factor which usually goes unnoticed in shrimp growout systems. In the present study an attempt was done to analyse the physiological and immunological responses of Penaeus monodon to Vibrio harveyi infection under acute salinity stress. Shrimps were challenged with V. harveyi under 5‰ salinity stress, 35‰ salinity stress and optimal salinity (15‰) conditions by intramuscular injection. A control was maintained without bacterial challenge. Haemolymph was collected from shrimps soon after salinity change before V. harveyi challenge (post salinity change day (PSD) 0), on post challenge day (PCD) 2, 7 and 10. Immune variables viz., total haemocyte count (THC), phenol oxidase activity (PO), Nitroblue Tetrazolium salt (NBT) reduction, alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP), acid phosphatase activity (ACP) and metabolic variables viz., total protein (TP), total carbohydrates (TC), total free amino acids (TFAA), total lipids (TL), glucose (Gl), cholesterol (Ch) were then determined. One way ANOVA followed by Duncan's multiple comparison of the means revealed significant differences between shrimps subjected to different salinity conditions and then challenged with V. harveyi (P