The purpose of this study was to evaluate biochemical and morphological responses induced by carbaryl in the liver of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) exposed during 21 days to sublethal concentrations (0.25 and 0.5 mg L À1 ), testing also recover for 14 days in clean water, after 14 days exposure. The activities of the following enzymes were measured: superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione S-transferase (GST), glutathione reductase (GR), and reduced (GSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG). Globally, our data showed that exposure to carbaryl decreased the SOD, CAT, GR, and GST activities, except for the SOD and GST activities after 14 days exposure to 0.25 mg L À1. In contrast, after 14 days exposure the GR activity of the hepatic tissue from carbaryl-treated fish showed significant elevation in relation to the control. When fish were left to recover, a positive response was seen in the GSH and GSSG contents. The results of the recovery group suggest that the toxicity produced by carbaryl is reversible to some extent within 15 days. The liver histological analysis showed differences between fish concerning the cellular vacuolization degree (VD) of the hepatocytes. In fish exposed to carbaryl it was observed an increasing hepatocellular basophilia. No other histological alterations were observed when fish was exposed to carbaryl, except a few necrotic foci at day 7. The sections stained with PAS reaction showed that the vacuolization was always not due to glycogen deposits, thus suggesting lipid accumulation. The combined increased basophilia and glycogen depletion is a common, although non-specific, liver response to many toxicants. In short, this work shows a relation between histological and biochemical changes in liver and carbaryl exposure. The effects of carbaryl were observed at different concentrations.