Prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time and fibrinogen values in Mediterranean marine teleosts

Coagulation profiles for marine fish were determined with the standard global screening assays, the prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) using homologous tissue thromboplastin and phospholipid extracts to investigate species-specificity of brain thromboplastins, and to establish a base-line coagulation profile for marine fish of economical importance for Mediterranean aquaculture (sea bream, Sparus aurata, sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax, red porgy, Pagrus pagrus, common dentex, Dentex dentex). Sea bass and sea bream displayed the shortest PT (9.0-15.0 s) and APTT (22.1-35.8 s) in comparison to the other species (PT: 24.8-37.2 s, APTT: 39.6-66.4 s). Red porgy displayed the lowest fibrinogen value (1.2-2.3 g l(-1)), while no differences were found among the other species (2.2-2.8 g l(-1)). It is concluded that the interaction of the tissue factor and plasma clotting factor is relatively species specific and that the use of homologous brain extracts is preferable for haemostasis study in marine fish.