Abstract
In Paralichthys olivaceus and Nibea japonica, response to live air (5hr) or ship (25hr) transportation was assessed, by determining the levels of plasma cortisol, glucose, lactic acid and osmolality, as well as hematological parameters namely hematocrit (Ht), red blood cell (RBC) count, hemoglobin (Hb), corpuscular volume (MCV), corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) and corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC). In the experimental series I, the olive flounder was subjected to stress or no stress for 1hr, prior to its air transportation for 5hr. The stress suffered by the flounder prior to air transportation resulted in significant reduction in Ht, but increases in MCH and MCHC. Air transportation led to increases in MCV and MCH in both the stressed and non stressed groups. In the non stressed group it led to significant increase in Ht but decrease in MCHC. In the stressed group, the air transportation led to significant increases in osmolality and plasma cortisol from 5 to 38.5ng/$m\ell$. Non stressed groups did not show significant differences in this before and after transportation. In the experiment II, the red blood cell (RBC) count ranged from 2.5$\times$10$^{6}$ /${mu}ell$ to 2.7$\times$10$^{6}$ /${mu}ell$ in the flounder and 1.9$\times$10$^{6}$ /${mu}ell$ to 2.1$\times$10$^{6}$ /${mu}ell$ in the croaker during the pre- and post-transportation, respectively. In the croaker the shipping led to significant increase in plasma cortisol from 26 to 35ng/$m\ell$ but decrease in glucose from 91.0 to 26.4mg/㎗. For glucose the reverse (39.0 to 51.0mg/㎗) was true for the flounder.