The problem of quantifying long-term changes in the prevalence of tumours and non-specific growths of fish

• Published in: ICES Journal of Marine Science
• Main Author: Möller, H.
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford University Press 1988
• Subjects: Articles; Northeast Atlantic
• Online Access: http://icesjms.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/short/45/1/33; https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/45.1.33

Owing to the lack of adequate data, no clear statement can be made on long-term changes in the prevalence of tumours and tumour-like diseases of fish. Attention is drawn to the risk of misinterpretation since success of investigators in identification rises with increasing experience. Such an effect is demonstrated for buccal granulomatosis of Elbe smelt. A further 17 cases from the literature were reviewed where the prevalence of external tumour-like diseases in Northeast Atlantic fish was surveyed for longer than one year. In 16 cases an increase was found when data from the second period of the investigation were compared with data from the first period. This also seems to be attributable to differences in the training of the investigators, rather than an ecological phenomenon.