The anesthetic effect of clove oil on lambari (Astyanax altiparanae) was evaluated by exposing five groups of 30 fry (0.6±0.1g) to concentrations of 50, 75, 100, 125 and 150mg L-1 and measuring the induction time to deep anesthesia (characterized by loss of equilibrium, absence of swimming, reduction of opercular movements, and responses only to intense tactile stimuli), recovery time, and mortality rate after exposure. Another phase of the experiment (10 fish/treatment) involved recording the induction time and recovering after surgical anesthesia (slow irregular opercular movements and loss of reaction to stimuli), and mortality rates after six minutes of exposure to each concentration of clove oil. Induction time decreased linearly (0.01 minute for each mg of additional anesthetic) and recovery time increased quadratically as the concentration increased (maximum estimated response in 7.1 minutes). Deep anesthesia occurred in less than 1.5 minute at all the concentrations, with faster recovery and zero mortality at 50mg L-1. The fastest induction to deep anesthesia occurred at concentrations of 75 and 100mg L-1, but resulted in mortality rates of 80% and 100%, respectively. The 50mg L-1 concentration resulted in surgical anesthesia in 3.29±0.71 minutes and recovery in 4.97±0.63 minutes, without mortality. It was concluded that clove oil has an anesthetic effect on lambari and that 50mg L-1 is an efficient and safe concentration for inducing deep anesthesia in up to 1.5 minute and surgical anesthesia in up to 3,3 minutes of exposure.
eugenol; Astyanax altiparanae; handling; anesthesia
