Effects of exposure to overcrowding on rodlet cells of the teleost fish Dicentrarchus labrax (L.)

Farmed fish are usually exposed to routine procedures which have strong effects on stress responses. Rodlet cells may represent an useful biomarker for studies on the presence of stressors in aquaculture. This work focused on the localization of rodlet cells by light and electron microscopy in gills of sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) subjected to different conditions of overcrowding. In general, a significant increase in number of rodlet cells has been observed in all animals subjected to overcrowding stress. In gills of control group rare rodlet cells were detected at the level of both primary and secondary lamellae, whereas in stressed group clusters of rodlet cells have been found in the epithelium of primary and secondary lamellae indicating that these cells are influenced by stocking density.