National Benthic Surveillance Project: Pacific Coast Fish Histopathology and Relationships Between Toxicopathic Lesions and Exposure to Chemical Contaminants for Cycles I to V (1984-88)

This report presents and interprets the results of histopathology studies conducted on 17 species of bottomfish captured at 45 sites between 1984 and 1988 as part of the Pacific Coast portion of the National Benthic Surveillance Program (NBSP) in conjunction with NOAA's National Status and Trends Program (NS&T). The species examined histopathologically for potentially contaminant-induced (toxicopathic) lesions in the liver and kidney were fourhom sculpin (Myoxocephalus quadricornis), Arctic flounder (Pleuronectes glacialis), flathead sole (Hippoglossoides elassodon), yellowfin sole (Pleuronectes asper), Pacific staghorn sculpin (Leptocottus armatus), English sole (Pleuronectes vetulus), starry flounder (Platichthys stellatus), white croaker (Genyonemus lineatus), homyhead turbot {Pleuronichthys verticalis), barred sand bass (Paralabrax nebulifer), spotted sand bass (Paralabrax maculatofasciatus), spotted turbot (Pleuronichthys ritteri), diamond turbot (Hysopsetta guttulata), California tonguefish (Symphurus atricauda), black croaker (■Cheilotrema satumum), and California halibut (Paralichthys califomicus). In all, over 5,250 individual fish among these species were examined. 1993 NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service) NWFSC (Northwest Fisheries Science Center) Library Public Domain 1861