| Abstract: | Pacific rockfish were sampled from Cordell Bank, off central California, from 1985 to 1990. Hyperplastic and neoplastic lesions, involving dermal chromatophores, were observed in five species; yellowtail rockfish (Sebastes flavidus), bocaccio (S. paucispinis), olive rockfish (S. serranoides), widow rockfish (S. entomelas), and chilipepper rockfish (S. goodei). Yearly prevalences were highest, but static, in S. pancipinis, while prevalences in S. flavidus have risen steadily. The majority of lesions were black, but white, red, orange, yellow, and mixed color variants were also seen. Lesions were found in skin, fins, lips, gingiva, longue, urogenital papilla, and in the conjunctira and cornea of the eye. Flat lesions were consistent with either melanophore (black), erythrophore (red), or xanthophore (yellow) hyperplasia. Neoplastic lesions included melanophoromas, amelanotic melanophoromas, xanthophoromas, erythrophoromas, and mixed chromatophoromas. Electron microscopy did not reveal the presence of viruses and the etiology of the lesions has not been determined. |
