Histological Alterations of Gill, Liver and Kidney of Black-Chinned Tilapia Sarotherodon melanotheron Contaminated by Heavy Metals from Bietri Bay in Ebrie Lagoon, Cote d’Ivoire

Histological changes in gills, liver and kidney were used to evaluate the health of Black-Chinned Tilapia Sarotherodon melanotheron obtained from Bietri Bay in Ebrie Lagoon during February 2008 and January 2009. Several histological alterations were observed in the gills, including proliferation in the epithelium of gill filaments and secondary lamellae, proliferation of mucous cells, cyst at the top of secondary lamellae, dilation and congestion in gill filaments blood vessel, atrophy of secondary lamellae, lamellar disorganization with focal fusion and hyperplasia of the epithelial cells and between secondary lamellae. The liver showed dilation in cells hepatic, focal areas of necrosis, cells hepatic degeneration, vacuolar degeneration with infiltration of lipid, blood vessels degeneration, hemorrhage and severe dilation in liver cells. In the kidney, the pathological alterations included vacuolization, dilation in renal cells, severe dilation with renal cells degeneration, hemorrhage, parasitic cyst, vacuolar degeneration in the epithelium of renal tubules, parasites, dilation in renal blood vessels and cyst. It was concluded that the environmental contamination of Bietri Bay induced several histopathological alterations in the tissues of Sarotherodon melanotheron.