Ja. Browder et al., A MAJOR DEVELOPMENTAL DEFECT OBSERVED IN SEVERAL BISCAYNE BAY, FLORIDA, FISH SPECIES, Environmental biology of fishes, 37(2), 1993, pp. 181-188
Stunted or missing dorsal spines or rays, sometimes accompanied by a d
epression in the dorsal profile. were found in 10 fish species in six
families from North Biscayne Bay. The same morphological abnormality o
ccurred in Haemulon sciurus, H. parrai, H. plumieri, Lagodon rhomboide
s, Archosargus rhomboidalis, Diplodus argenteus, Lutjanus griseus, Kyp
hosus sectatrix, Sphoeroides testudineus, and Lactrophyrys quadricorni
s. Another morphological abnormality, scale disorientation, was found
in six species: H. parrai, L. rhomboides, A. rhomboidalis, L. griseus,
and Abudefduf saxatilis. Pugheadedness, jaw deformities, and other ab
normalities also were observed. The occurrence of similar deformities
across such a spectrum of fishes from the same location suggests the d
eformity was induced by something in the environment common to all the
se species. Although there could be other explanations for the unusual
cluster of abnormalities, it is suspected that the same environmental
contaminant or group of contaminants is adversely affecting a common
developmental pathway of these fishes. Biscayne Bay is an urban estuar
y that receives agricultural, industrial, and residential run off.