| Organophosphorus pesticides are used in agriculture as insecticide and pesticides due to their rapid biodegradibility nature to control pest but their broad spectrum of harmful effects extends far. The present study deals with the toxic effect of parathion on total erythrocyte count of an air–breathing fish Clarias batrachus. In different sublethal toxicity [2ppm , 4ppm, 6ppm and 8ppm] of parathion for 96 hours to C. batrachus, a gradual and significant decrease in Red Blood Corpuscles (RBC) count was observed. The mean RBC count in control and treated female fish were higher than male was noticed. The decrease in RBC count due to toxicity of parathion might be due to interference in metabolism of blood producing organs of fish.
Keywords: Toxicity, RBC count, Clarias batrachus, organophosphorus, parathion.
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